Honduras captain Arnold Peralta shot dead

Authorities in Honduras say the captain of the national soccer team has been shot dead in a shopping centre parking lot in a city on the country’s Caribbean coast.

Arnold Peralta was killed by an unidentified gunman on a motorcycle in his hometown of La Ceiba on Thursday.

His father, Carlos Peralta, confirmed the death at a news conference.

Police were hunting for at least one gunman, said police commissioner Leonel Sauceda, adding that the motive was unlikely to be a robbery because Peralta had not had his belongings taken.

“Apparently it was one or two individuals who were travelling in a vehicle — a motorcycle or car,” he added.

The 26-year-old midfielder joined Club Deportivo Olimpia in the Honduran national soccer league this year.

Olimpia was eliminated from the league’s semi-final last weekend.

Peralta previously played for the Rangers Football Club in Scotland and Club Deportivo Vida in Honduras and was scheduled to play in the national team’s friendly match against Cuba next week.

Honduras is plagued by gang violence and has one of the world’s highest homicide rates.

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