Seven people, including a 7-year-old girl, were shot and killed at a resort in Guanajuato, Mexico, at around 4:30 PM local time on Saturday, April 15, according to reports.
Tragic Mexico Shooting
Officials in Mexico have said that a group of gunmen stormed the La Palma resort in the Cortazar municipality and opened fire on the guests as they were enjoying themselves in the pool.
A young child, three women, and three men adults were confirmed dead, while another individual was critically injured, according to police. There has been no public announcement of the victims' names.
Tourists, many of them still wearing their bathing suits and towel, watch in disbelief as police arrive at the scene in videos shared on social media. Many more are seen crying and embracing their kids.
One individual who videotaped the incident told Fox News, "Heavily armed sicarios arrived, and this is what happened." Sicarios is a Spanish word for hired killers.
In a report by CNN, the gunmen allegedly destroyed the spa and fled the area after stealing the surveillance cameras.
ABC News said a helicopter was helping the Mexican military and police look for the attackers. Officials from the town of Cortazar in the Mexican state of Guanajuato did not provide any speculation on a probable motive in a statement they issued.
The police have not yet made any arrests.
Also Read : US-Mexico Border: Deadly Fire in Detention Center Prompts Investigation of Migration Chief
Damage Caused by Drug Cartel Violence
Guanajuato is a major agricultural and industrial center in Mexico, but it has also been ravaged by drug cartel violence for years.
According to Fox News, the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel has been at war with other criminal organizations in the region, such as the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, which has the apparent support of the Sinaloa drug cartel.
The shooting at the resort in Guanajuato occurs in the same month as the murder of four men at a hotel in Cancun, also a popular tourist destination, and just before the start of the Easter holiday weekend. On April 4, authorities speculated that drug gang rivalry was to blame for the deaths, naming the head of one such group Hector Flores Aceves, aka "Pantera," or the Panther.
Travel Warning From US State Department
Because of rising gang violence, the US State Department issued a travel warning for spring breakers in March.
The notice urged tourists to "exercise increased caution," particularly at night, while visiting popular Caribbean destinations like Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum.
The advisory also warned of the dangers of utilizing synthetic medications or tampered prescription tablets, which have caused illness and death among US residents traveling abroad.
It was reported that certain Mexican pharmacies provide sedatives and other medications that need prescriptions in the US free of charge, prompting the government to issue the advisory.
