Seven Youths Killed in Shooting at Church Festivity in Mexico
Seven young men were shot dead during a Catholic Church festivity in San Bartolo de Berrios, Guanajuato, on Monday morning. Eyewitnesses reported that gunmen opened fire randomly on a group of attendees remaining in the village's central square after the event.
The shooting, which erupted around 1:30 a.m., is believed to be linked to the ongoing conflict between rival drug cartels in the region, particularly the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, as indicated by threatening messages left at nearby locations, according to local officials. The attack is alarming, as assaults typically target nightclubs and bars rather than religious gatherings.
The Episcopal Conference of Mexico condemned the violence, calling it a reflection of the "spiral of violence" affecting communities. Archbishop Jaime Calderón attributed the incident to territorial disputes between cartels, noting Guanajuato recorded 2,597 homicides in 2024, the highest in Mexico. This incident underscores the dangerous environment in the state, where gangs also engage in fuel theft to fund their operations. No arrests have been reported so far.
Mexico