Gunmen Kill 11, Injure 20 in Mass Shooting at Religious Festival in Central Mexico
- Victor Nwoko
- Jun 26
- 2 min read
A mass shooting during a religious celebration in the city of Irapuato, Guanajuato, left 11 people dead and at least 20 others injured Tuesday night, according to authorities. The attack took place during festivities marking the Nativity of John the Baptist in one of Mexico’s most violence-stricken regions.
The Guanajuato state prosecutor’s office confirmed the fatalities, which included a 17-year-old, eight adult men, and two women. Officials have vowed that the crime will not go unpunished. Bloodstains, scattered debris, and bullet holes remained at the crime scene hours after the attack.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with civilians frantically loading the wounded into private vehicles and racing them to nearby hospitals. "It was chaos. People put the wounded into their cars and rushed to hospital to try to save them," one witness said, requesting anonymity due to safety concerns.
Local authorities in Irapuato said security forces were actively searching for the gunmen, while municipal teams provided psychological support to victims and their families.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the shooting, calling it “deplorable” and confirmed that a federal investigation was underway. In her daily press briefing, she described the incident as a “confrontation” but did not provide further details about the motive or the identities of those involved.
A video circulated online showed the moment gunfire erupted, sending festival-goers running in panic as music and dancing were abruptly interrupted.
Guanajuato Governor Libia Dennise expressed her condolences to the victims' families and reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to restoring security in the region.
Though known as a major industrial hub and tourist destination, Guanajuato has become Mexico’s deadliest state in recent years due to ongoing turf wars between powerful criminal organizations. Violence in the region is primarily fueled by conflict between the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which the U.S. government has labeled a foreign terrorist organization.
According to official figures, Guanajuato recorded more than 3,000 homicides in 2023—more than any other state in the country.
The wave of violence in the state has continued into 2024. Just last month, authorities discovered 17 bodies inside an abandoned home, and gunmen opened fire in a separate attack that killed seven people, including children. In February, eight individuals were executed in a public street, and in January, a deadly clash between security forces and suspected cartel members left 10 criminals dead and three officers wounded.
Since 2006, criminal violence—much of it linked to drug trafficking—has claimed approximately 480,000 lives in Mexico and left more than 120,000 missing.
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