On December 2, 1993, Pablo Escobar, Colombia's notorious drug lord and leader of the Medellín Cartel, was killed in Medellín during a raid by Colombian authorities. After escaping from his self-built luxury prison, La Catedral, in 1992, Escobar evaded arrest for 16 months despite serious efforts by the government and international agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to capture him.
23 years ago Pablo Escobar was gunned down in his hometown, but his killing remains shrouded in mystery
Tracked to a safe house in a middle-class neighbourhood, Escobar attempted to flee to the rooftop with his bodyguard during the raid. During the shootout that ensued, Escobar was fatally shot. That was how he died.
Pablo Escobar: Biography, Drug Lord, Medellín Cartel Leader
While an official report credited the Search Bloc, a special Colombian police unit, with his death, others, including his family, claim Escobar took his own life to avoid capture, in line with his earlier vow to never be imprisoned. His death marked the end of an era of brutal narcoterrorism and defiant drug dealing