Eight people died in a weekend shooting in the Mexican state of Morelos, adjacent to Mexico City, authorities reported Sunday.
The attack occurred on Saturday in the municipality of Huitzilac, near a highway linking the capital to the tourist town of Cuernavaca.
Four people died instantly while four others died after being taken to hospital, the Morelos prosecutor’s office said. Seven of the victims were aged between 29 and 50 while the eighth victim was not immediately identified.
All eight bodies have been transferred to the Forensic Services facility as the investigation into the shooting continues, officials said.
The mountainous, forested commune of Huitzilac is plagued by illegal loggers, kidnappers and drug gangs, in part because it is the closest rural refuge to the Mexican capital.
The city’s mayor, Rafael Vargas, called the attack a “terrible act of violence.”
“Right downtown, several people were attacked and killed,” Vargas said. Apparently aware of the city’s bad reputation, he added: “The violence must stop. We will denounce all kinds of slander aimed at harming our people.”
Morelos is a popular vacation destination for Mexico City residents, although it borders on the hustle and bustle State of Guerrerowhere various drug cartels operate.
In November last year, an armed clash between police and suspected criminals left nine people dead in Cuernavaca.
According to official figures, around 450,000 people have been murdered across the country since 2006, when the government launched a controversial anti-drug offensive involving the army.
Last week, 18 bodies were found in Zacatecas, a state in northern Mexico shaken by a wave of violence linked to drug cartels. Messages addressed to a criminal group were found with nine of the bodies, authorities said.
Last month, a the journalist was killed in Morelos after taking her daughter to school.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
News Source : www.cbsnews.com
Gn world
