Authorities say that ARNOLD PERALTA, the former Rangers midfielder "who was murdered in a car park in his home town in Honduras on Thursday," was shot 18 times, according to Scott Rutherford of the LONDON TIMES. A statement from the chief prosecutors’ office said that Peralta “was viciously attacked, and he died of multiple gunshot wounds to the skull, face and chest.” The "killing occurred in the car park of the Uniplaza mall in La Ceiba, on the country's Caribbean coast." Peralta, 26, signed for Rangers in June '13 and "made 29 appearances during an 18-month spell with the Ibrox outfit." A minute's silence was held before Saturday's meeting with Morton, while MARK WARBURTON's side "wore black armbands as a mark of respect." The player "had only recently celebrated the birth of a daughter with his partner" (LONDON TIMES, 12/12). In London, Paris Gourtsoyannis reported Peralta was shot by "men on a motorcycle as he got out of his car outside a shopping centre with his wife and friends." In a statement on Friday, the Glasgow club said, "Rangers Football Club is deeply shocked and saddened to hear the tragic news about former player Arnold Peralta." His former teammates "issued tributes of their own." KRIS BOYD, who spent six months playing alongside Peralta at Rangers and who now plays for Kilmarnock, said, “It’s just tragic. I don’t really know the ins and outs of it, so all I can do is pass on my condolences to his family. He was always somebody who would come in to training with a smile on his face." The Central American country "has a reputation for brutal street crime and violence but robbery has been ruled out as a motive "as none of Peralta's possessions were taken." Investigators "are reviewing CCTV footage, which may help to identify the attackers." With more than 90 murders per 100,000 residents, "Honduras holds the unwelcome accolade of being the murder capital of the world" (LONDON TIMES, 12/12). The DAILY RECORD reported Celtic defender EMILO IZAGUIRRE paid "an emotional tribute." The Honduran, who was a close friend and teammate of Peralta in the national side, "wore a T-shirt with a message in memory of his fellow countryman and a black armband with the No 12, Peralta's number for his country." Izaguirre said, "I have lost a friend, a brother and a loved one" (DAILY RECORD, 12/13).
