At least 11 people were killed when gunmen stormed a holiday celebration in the central Mexican city of Irapuato on Tuesday night, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
The attack, which left around 20 others wounded and hospitalized, occurred during festivities marking the Catholic feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist, a widely observed holiday in the region.
According to the Guanajuato state attorney general’s office, the victims were attending the celebration when unknown assailants opened fire. The region has long suffered from gang-related violence, and authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
President Claudia Sheinbaum called the attack “very unfortunate” and initially stated that children were among the victims. However, the attorney general’s office later clarified that only one of the deceased was a minor.
Footage circulated on social media appears to show partygoers dancing in the courtyard of a housing complex as a band played—until the music was drowned out by gunfire. Reuters said it could not independently verify the video.
The state of Guanajuato remains one of Mexico’s deadliest regions, plagued by turf wars between rival criminal organizations vying for control of drug trafficking and other illicit enterprises. In addition to the Irapuato attack, five other people were reportedly killed in separate violent incidents across the state the same day.
