Twelve individuals were savagely murdered on December 17 when a gang of armed men stormed a Christmas celebration in Guanajuato, a state in central Mexico, and opened fire. According to the local police, the incident occurred in Salvatierra at the dawn of morning.
The armed group opened fire on partygoers at a posada, a major traditional celebration in the Latin American country, according to a statement from local authorities. Typically, the festivities take place in the days preceding December 24.
The horrific assault was announced on the Twitter account of the Guanajuato attorney general’s office. Officials will “mourn” over the victims and “make the criminals pay” through their investigation, according to the statement. According to the office, residents of the state can no longer tolerate being on edge all the time due to the presence of several criminal gangs. No information on the identities of the victims or the criminal group responsible for the attack was provided by the office, although it did mention that 12 people were killed and several others were seriously injured and taken to a hospital.
The initial report listed 14 injured people, however a subsequent update reduced the death toll to 11. Additionally, the culprits who carried out the brutal assault were found to have been disinvited from the celebrations previously, but they returned to take revenge, according to authorities.
The state in central Mexico has recently grown into one of the country’s most important hubs for aerospace and automobile production. Nevertheless, Guanajuato has become one of the most violent states in the Latin American nation as a result of numerous criminal gangs and corrupt politicians targeting the state due to its vast quantity of money.
Reports from the ground indicate that the most influential drug cartels have been expanding their influence in Guanajuato, corrupting law enforcement, judges, and even politicians. Many worry that Guanajuato could descend into unprecedented anarchy as a result of the recent outbreak of violence, which has its roots in the fact that several cartels have declared war on one another.