Mexican authorities said Wednesday that 10 people, including children, were killed when a group of gunmen attacked a home in a central city in the country plagued by violence due to drug cartel clashes.
The shooting took place in Irapuato, Guanajuato state, according to CBS News. According to a statement released by the city government, the incident occurred on Tuesday night and several others were injured.
“According to preliminary information, 10 people were killed and many were injured by gunshot wounds,” the local civil security office said in a statement.
Mexican media reported that residents were celebrating a religious festival at the time of the incident.
New President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed at a morning press conference that children were also killed in the “heinous” attack. She added that an investigation has been launched.
Sheinbaum called the incident a “confrontation” but did not specify the circumstances or the identity of the victims.
According to Reuters, Sheinbaum said, “This is a shocking mass murder.”
Guanajuato is an important industrial center in Mexico and home to several famous tourist destinations, but the state is also the region with the most murders in Mexico. Official data shows that the state’s security has deteriorated due to drug lords’ turf wars.
Since 2006, more than 480,000 people have died in Mexico due to criminal violence, and more than 120,000 people have disappeared, most of whom are related to drug smuggling.
In Guanajuato, the violence mainly occurred between the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel and the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The latter is one of the most powerful drug trafficking organizations in Mexico and was once listed as a “foreign terrorist organization” by the Trump administration.
According to official data, Guanajuato recorded more than 3,000 murders last year, the most among all Mexican states.
The bloody violence has not abated this year. Last month, investigators found 17 bodies in an abandoned house in Guanajuato. A few days ago, gunmen shot and killed seven people, including children, in another attack in the state; police found two banners at the scene, which were related to the “Santa Rosa de Lima Gang”. In February this year, five women and three men were shot dead on the street; in January, security forces exchanged fire with militants in the state, killing 10 suspected criminals and injuring three police officers.
