Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Golder’s News And Sport 

This 18-year-old Mexican national champion athletics prospect has died after he was shot by an armed man who stole his scholarship money moments after the youngster withdrew it.

The incident occurred on Thursday 9th January in the city of Ciudad Juarez located in the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico as further details continue to emerge.

Local media report student-athlete Martin Alejandro Loera Trujillo, 18, was murdered in the plaza of a shopping centre shortly after withdrawing 50,000 MXN (2, 386 GBP) which was part of his scholarship money.

The young man reportedly refused to give up the money after he was approached by an armed man.

Local media report bystanders tried to help the 18-year-old but were waved off by the gunman who threatened to shoot them. The assailant eventually shot and killed Loera.

The exact injuries the young athlete sustained are unclear.

An unnamed Mexican prosecutor said: “We do not discard any possibility but the hypothesis of armed robbery is gaining traction.

“There was a single shot that was done to the person, a bullet shell was found and there is at least one witness who says the aggressor forced a bum bag off the person that lost his life.”

Loera was a student at the Autonomous University of the City of Juarez where he competed in athletics which gained him a student scholarship.

He was a national prospect in athletics after he won two gold medals in the National Olympics in 2018 in the 100-metre and 200-metre sprints categories.

He was also a National Youth Champion in 2019 in the Under 18 and Under 20 categories. His murder is under investigation, however, there have been no reports of arrests.

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