Ecuadorian sprint star Alex Quinonez gunned down in horror shopping mall shooting

The president of Ecuador has warned that the murder of World Championship medalist Alex Quinonez "will not go unpunished" after the sprint star was slain outside a shopping center.

Quinonez was fatally shot in Guayaquil, a port city, on Friday night according to local police.

Aged 32, he became a national hero after reaching the 200-meter final at the London Olympics in 2012.

Additionally, he won bronze in the 200m at the World Championships in Doha in 2019.

Quinonez was shot dead at around 9:20pm while another man was also murdered, according to El Universo.

Up until now, there have been no immediate reports of arrests being made in relation to the killings.

But in a statement on Saturday, President Guillermo Lasso vowed that they "will not go unpunished".

The Ecuadorian Olympic Committee confirmed the death of their athlete with the circumstances still not clarified.

On Twitter, its secretary general Andrea Sotomayor expressed sorrow and outrage while decrying "so much evil".

"I don't have words to express the sadness, helplessness and indignation that is overwhelming me," wrote the ex-Minister of Sport.

"Alex Quinonez was the synonym of humility and a clear example of resilience. His loss leaves us with pain in our chests."

As of late, cities such as Guayaquil and others in Ecuador have been struggling to navigate high levels of crime.

Earlier in October, Lasso had to decree a state of emergency to combat drug trafficking and other related offenses, saying that the military and police officers will occupy the streets in order to provide security.

Revolts in prisons due to drug violence have been seen in Guayaquil in particular, with massacres by inmates of gangs linked to Mexico's drug cartels spelling around 230 murders this year.