RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – According to the British BBC, British property developer and millionaire Matthew Gibbard, 50, has been shot dead outside luxury hotel Faena in Buenos Aires after being held up by armed robbers.
The attack occurred as the tourists approached the hotel, the Argentine news agency Telam said.
He was transported to the hospital but ended up not resisting his injuries. According to reports, his stepson, Stefan Zone, 28, was also shot in the thigh and is recovering in hospital.
Officials have already explained to the local media that the British citizens tried to resist the assault, led by two men who arrived by motorcycle.
Faced with the victims’ resistance to handing over their belongings, the suspects shot them and fled. So far, they have not been located by the authorities.
The rest of the family is already in contact with the British Consulate in Argentina to deal with all the bureaucracies related to the crime, hospital, and transfer of the body.
Alberto Fernandez, Argentina’s President branded the incident “atrocious” adding: “We must be severe, we cannot tolerate this. We must seek out those responsible and make them pay with the rigor of justice.”
According to the BBC, more than 111,000 British people visited Argentina in 2018 and most of the trips were made without any problems.
However, the publication recalls that some care must be taken in Latin American countries, such as avoiding certain areas, not leaving the comfort zone, not using expensive accessories and, when approached by criminals, not resisting, handing over the money and valuables.