12 people were killed and 20 others sustained various degrees of injury when armed men came to a crowded street carnival celebrating the birth of St. John the Baptist and started shooting at the religious attendees.
The mass shooting happened at Irapuato, located in Guanajuato in Mexico, at around 11.20 pm on Wednesday when the people were celebrating in a housing quarter.
A video clip that captured part of the shooting showed the people singing and dancing around to the sound of music before shots started ringing out.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said investigations were underway to identify the gunmen behind the attack, which she described as “very unfortunate”. The investigation will also seek to unravel the reason behind the attack.
The nativity of Saint John the Baptist is a significant feast celebrated by Catholics who mark the day with water-based events to commemorate the prophet’s role in baptizing Jesus Christ with water in the river Jordan.
Though murder rates in Mexico saw a slight decrease compared to recent years, it remains very high at 24.9 per 100,000 people. The high rate of crime is largely driven by criminal groups involved in drug trafficking.
The city of Guanajuato itself is notorious for its high crime rate. Barely 24 hours before the religious massacre, 5 other people were killed in separate incidents.
The killings in Mexico spare no one – both commoners, celebrities, and politicians alike. Last month, a beauty influencer named Valeria Marquez was assassinated while she was livestreaming in her salon, and politicians have been killed before and after winning elections.
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