Eleven shot dead at postgame gathering in Salamanca, Guanajuato

Gunmen opened fire at a crowded soccer field in Salamanca, in the central state of Guanajuato, on Sunday, killing 11 people and injuring 12, local officials said. Officials said the gunfire struck people who were socializing after a match; the 12 wounded included a woman and a child.

Salamanca, a city of about 275,000, has seen recent violence: another incident left five people dead on Saturday, and authorities disarmed an explosive device at a state-owned oil facility a week earlier. Guanajuato recorded 2,035 intentional homicides last year, the highest in Mexico, and authorities say much of the violence has been driven by a turf war between a local cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

Salamanca lies near a border that separates territory controlled by each group and hosts an important oil refinery, which both cartels seek to control for drug-trafficking and fuel-theft businesses. Local officials said they were investigating Sunday’s shooting, including whether either cartel was involved.

The attack comes as the Mexican government has been pressing an aggressive campaign against criminal groups to demonstrate progress to U.S.

Key Topics

World, Salamanca, Guanajuato, Jalisco New Generation, Oil Refinery, Mexican National Guard