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Peruvian Sneaker Entrepreneur Fritz Durán Says Extortion Campaign Turned Violent

He has asked national authorities for urgent protection after explosive and shooting attacks that hospitalized a security guard.

Overview

  • Durán says two of his Fritz Sports stores were attacked in less than a week, including an explosive placed outside a Santa Anita shop and armed gunfire that left a guard gravely injured.
  • The owner reported that threats began as fake social media accounts about three months ago and escalated from virtual messages to real-world violence.
  • Store staff have been forced to use bulletproof vests and convert retail sites into fortified locations to protect more than 180 employees and customers.
  • Durán publicly denied any illicit source for his wealth, described flashy online content as staged entertainment, and declined to disclose the extortion sum.
  • He has appealed to the Interior Minister and presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori for immediate intervention, highlighting a wider public-safety challenge for visible entrepreneurs in Peru.