Colombian player shoots lippy fan: police

BOGOTA (Reuters) - A Colombian soccer player shot and killed a fan for calling him "lousy" on Sunday, days after the player's team lost a local championship, police said.

Javier Florez, a midfielder for the Atletico Junior team of the Caribbean city if Barranquilla, ran from the scene of the shooting but soon turned himself in to authorities.

Witnesses told police Florez shot Israel Castillo with a handgun after the 27-year-old electrician called him a "maleta" -- which in Colombian parlance describes a "lousy" player.

Atletico Junior lost the Apertura Championship final to a team called Once Caldas late last month.

The shooting recalled the case of Andres Escobar, a defender on Colombia's national team who was gunned down after a poor performance in the 1994 World Cup, which was played in the United States.

(Reporting by Hugh Bronstein; Editing by John O'Callaghan)