Soccer referee Cesar Flores was shot to death while another player was injured allegedly by a player that the former previously red-carded during a game. The player was reportedly angered by the call and killed the referee in retaliation, per The Guardian.

The Argentinian police are currently searching for a football player who allegedly shot and killed Flores after he was sent off in an amateur match played in the province of Córdoba, Argentina on Feb. 14. According to sources, the gun came from the player's bag, which he fished out after he was red-carded. He then returned to the pitch and opened fire at the 48-year-old official.

Flores reportedly sent the player off after the latter floored an opponent. A police spokesman stated that everything happened during the match, although details have yet to be fully sorted out.

“It all happened during the football match. We don’t know [exactly what took place], but it appears the player was angry, fetched a gun and killed him,” one police source said as quoted by Mirror.

Local reports stated that Flores was shot three times, with wounds in his head, neck and chest. Another player, Walter Zarate, 25, was also shot and injured from the incident but is currently in a stable situation.

The alleged shooter is reportedly still at large, with police aiming to capture him soon.

According to The Guardian, Football violence has been prevalent in Argentina for the past years. In January 2016, in a game between the Boca Juniors and River Plate, five players were forced to leave the field while nine got booked. In June 2015, a match between Tiro Federal and Ferro was halted after a referee was punched unconscious by a player who was yellow-carded.

A number of South American referees actually believe that it is necessary and reasonable for game officials to be armed on the field as well for their own protection, Scream reports. Gabriel Murta, a Brazilian referee, took out his gun during a game to deal with some violent players. He has been defended by the local referee governing body, which stated that some lower level games can get out of hand that makes carrying a firearm perfectly reasonable.

However, referees are not encouraged to bring guns and the federation frowns upon such acts, viewing it as a presence of a more serious problem in the game.