Following Nazareno’s death, his youth academy, Independiente del Valle, penned an emotional tribute to their late player on Instagram.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe family of Independiente del Valle expresses its deep sorrow for the sensitive passing of Miguel Nazareno, player of our quarry in Independiente Juniors. \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udda4,\u201d they wrote in Spanish. \u201cMiguel was in his home, when he sadly fell victim to the insecurity that affects our country.\u201d<\/p>\n They added, \u201cWe extend our deepest condolences and all our support to his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n FrankvandenBergh\/Getty<\/p>\n Stock image of Guayaquil, Ecuador<\/p>\n Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter<\/a> for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.<\/p>\n \u201cYour memory will always remain in the heart of our institution. \ud83d\udc90,\u201d the team concluded.<\/p>\n PEOPLE has contacted the Ecuadorian police for comment.<\/p>\n The post also included black and white photos of Nazareno playing on the field.<\/p>\n “Much strength and blessings to the family \ud83d\ude4f\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f,” one person wrote in the comment section, while another added, “Rest in peace mijo \ud83d\ude22 \ud83d\ude22.”<\/p>\n Nazareno played as a midfielder and forward, according to the AP.<\/p>\n The teen is reportedly the fourth soccer player to fall victim to gun violence in Ecuador in 2025, with\u00a0Maicol Valencia, Leandro Y\u00e9pez and Jonathan Gonz\u00e1lez also being killed by gunfire in September, the outlet reported.<\/p>\n While Valencia and Y\u00e9pez were members of Exapromo Costa, Gonz\u00e1lez played for\u00a022 de Junio.<\/p>\n Last month, PEOPLE reported that a 14-year-old was killed after a stray bullet <\/a>hit him while playing video games in his bedroom in Missouri.<\/p>\n In a statement to PEOPLE, St. Louis County Police Department said \u201cthe preliminary investigation indicates an unknown subject or subjects fired shots in the area, and the victim was struck.\u201d<\/p>\n “The investigation revealed Morgan was inside his home when he was hit by a stray bullet from outside,” they added.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"FrankvandenBergh\/Getty](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/5e5a21ef92722169f5caa9a422d73422.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n