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Story perspectives

Airport Gun Hidden in Teddy Bear Kills Gang Leader

6/19/2026

31 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Footage captured a gunman hide a pistol behind a teddy bear and shoot gang leader Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva at José Joaquín de Olmedo airport on June 17, 2026.
A second person was wounded and taken to a hospital.
Police arrested two teenagers, ages 15 and 16, in the airport parking lot with firearms.
Flights were suspended after the shooting, which followed President Daniel Noboa’s state of emergency in ten provinces.

History

Historical Context

Since its 1960 opening, Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport has endured a series of safety incidents—from the 1960 Fairchild F-27 crash that killed 37, to the 1995 Gulfstream collision with Sincholagua that claimed seven lives, and a 2009 military helicopter mishap. These events spurred tighter security measures and the 2013 relocation to a new, larger Tababela site, now handling over 6 million passengers annually.

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Story summary

Footage captured a gunman hide a pistol behind a teddy bear and shoot gang leader Carlos Alberto Suástegui Villanueva at José Joaquín de Olmedo airport on June 17, 2026.
A second person was wounded and taken to a hospital.
Police arrested two teenagers, ages 15 and 16, in the airport parking lot with firearms.
Flights were suspended after the shooting, which followed President Daniel Noboa’s state of emergency in ten provinces.

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