Gunmen kill at least 11 at football match in Salamanca, Guanajuato

Gunmen opened fire at a football match in Salamanca in central Guanajuato state on Sunday, killing at least 11 people and wounding 12, the town mayor said.

César Prieto, Salamanca's mayor, posted that the attackers arrived at the end of the match; ten people died at the scene and one died later in hospital. A woman and a child were among the injured in what Prieto called a "regrettable and cowardly" attack. A Mexican Red Cross team attended the scene.

The mayor said the incident was part of a wider crimewave in the city and appealed to President Claudia Sheinbaum for help. Guanajuato has long been one of Mexico's most violent regions because of turf wars between rival cartels; Prieto said five people were killed in two separate attacks near Salamanca on Saturday. Salamanca is home to one of seven Pemex refineries in Mexico, and fuel theft is a major criminal economy in the area.

The state prosecutor's office said it was investigating and coordinating with federal authorities to reinforce security. Governor Libia Dennise called the attack "unacceptable" and said security had been reinforced. When asked, President Sheinbaum deferred to the state attorney general's office, which said it was coordinating with municipal, state and federal authorities to strengthen security, protect people and find the perpetrators. Prieto vowed: "Those responsible will be found."

Key Topics

World, Salamanca, Guanajuato, César Prieto, Claudia Sheinbaum, Pemex