British father shot dead in front of stepson during robbery outside five-star Argentina hotel

Shooting: A police officer outside the Faena Art Hotel in Buenos Aires after a British tourist was killed: AP
Shooting: A police officer outside the Faena Art Hotel in Buenos Aires after a British tourist was killed: AP

A British tourist has been shot dead in front of his stepson during a robbery outside a five-star hotel in Argentina.

The men, aged 50 and 28, were attacked at about 11am local time on Saturday (2pm GMT) in the capital Buenas Aires.

The father was shot in the chest and died, while his son suffered a thigh wound. They were both rushed to hospital.

Police have launched a manhunt after the suspects fled the scene.

A naval official guards the entrance of the hotel hours after the shooting (AP)
A naval official guards the entrance of the hotel hours after the shooting (AP)

The attack happened as the tourists approached the Faena Art Hotel in the Puerto Madero area of Buenos Aires, an exclusive waterside district popular with tourists.

They were targeted by two men on a motorbike in an attack caught on CCTV.

The father and stepson are said to have just got out of a white van after travelling from the airport when the men, supported by accomplices in a car, tried to steal their luggage.

Officials said the holidaymakers were shot in the struggle as they tried to resist attempts to steal their luggage.

Local media reports said police are investigating whether the victims were followed to the hotel from the airport.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are supporting the family of two British men following an incident in Buenos Aires, and are in contact with the local authorities there.”

More than 111,000 British nationals visited Argentina in 2018, according to the Foreign Office, which said most visits are "trouble free".

But tourists are warned to be alert to street crime, including armed robberies, and advised to hand over cash and valuables without resistance.

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British tourist killed and one injured in ambush outside luxury hotel