Manabí (Ecuador) - A bloody end to a bloody spectacle: an armed squad stormed a cockfighting arena in Ecuador and fired indiscriminately into the crowd. Several people were killed.

A total of twelve people lost their lives in the massacre in the province of Manabí, according to the police. Nine others were injured.

A dozen members of the "Los R7" gang disguised in military uniforms had gained access to the mini coliseum on Thursday evening. At the time, a cockfighting event was taking place in the center of the building.

The spectators initially seemed to react calmly to the death squad disguised as soldiers, as video footage from social media shows. Suddenly, the ice-cold killers fire into the crowd, people slump to the ground, others jump for cover.

On Saturday, the Ecuadorian police announced that four of the gunmen involved - three men and one woman - had been arrested as part of a large-scale raid in the municipality of El Carmen.

The uniforms, rifles and ammunition were found on them.

All four are now in custody.

According to the video recordings, however, significantly more attackers were involved in the bloody deed.

The motive for the massacre is still unclear. Various South American media report a dispute between hostile groups.

It is also reported that a large sum of money was stolen from the coffers of the cockfight organizers in the course of the attack.