How Did Pablo Escobar Die?
On December 2, 1993, Pablo Escobar died during a shootout with Colombian authorities. The drug lord was shot three times: in the leg, upper back, and right ear. The shot to his head was fatal. While various people claimed responsibility, some have speculated that Escobar took his own life. He had previously expressed concerns about being extradited to the United States and at one point said that he “would rather have a grave in Colombia than a jail cell in the U.S.” His death capped an extensive manhunt.
By the early 1990s Colombia was facing growing violence instigated by Escobar and his Medellín drug cartel. He became the focus of a manhunt, and in 1991 he finally surrendered. His imprisonment, however, had little effect on his criminal activities and his lifestyle. Escobar was allowed to build La Catedral, a luxury prison that included a nightclub, sauna, waterfall, and soccer field. However, after Escobar tortured and killed two cartel members, officials sought to move him to a less-accommodating prison. Before he could be transferred, Escobar escaped custody in July 1992.
On December 1, 1993, Escobar celebrated his 44th birthday, allegedly enjoying cake, wine, and marijuana. The next day his hideout in Medellín was discovered after the Search Bloc, a Colombian special forces unit, traced a phone call. Authorities stormed the house, and Escobar and a bodyguard managed to get to the roof. A chase and gunfight ensued, and both men were fatally shot. Escobar, who had cultivated a Robin Hood image, was popular with many Colombians, and it was estimated that more than 25,000 people attended his funeral.
