The shooting incident highlights the ongoing struggle for power between rival cartels in Guanajuato, known for its high homicide rate.
**Deadly Shooting at Church Festivity in Guanajuato Claims Seven Lives**
**Deadly Shooting at Church Festivity in Guanajuato Claims Seven Lives**
A violent attack in San Bartolo leaves the community in shock and raises concerns over cartel violence.
The small village of San Bartolo de Berrios in Guanajuato has been shaken by tragedy after seven young people were shot dead during a festivity organized by the local Catholic Church. The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday when gunmen drove into the central square, indiscriminately firing dozens of rounds at a group of remaining attendees. Eyewitness accounts suggest that the aggressors targeted a gathering that had just concluded an event organized by the local parish.
Authorities have not released an official motive; however, indications point to the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel’s involvement, as evidenced by threatening messages left at the scene. Cartel violence has predominantly been associated with bars and clubs in Mexico, making an assault on a church-organized event particularly alarming.
The Episcopal Conference of Mexico expressed its outrage regarding the shooting, emphasizing the relentless cycle of violence afflicting many communities across the country. Local Archbishop Jaime Calderón attributed the incident to ongoing turf wars between the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel and their rivals, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). This region has seen pervasive cartel activity, concentrating on drug trafficking and extortion, alongside incidents of huachicoleo, the illegal extraction and sale of fuel from pipelines.
With Guanajuato recording the most homicides in Mexico for the year 2024 at 2,597, fear has become a tactic employed by cartels to silence and intimidate local populations. Residents of San Bartolo described the scene as horrific, with approximately 100 gunshots filling the air, leaving the central square strewn with bodies. Among the victims, two were under eighteen, underlining the tragic impacts of cartel-related violence that ravage communities at every level.
As of now, authorities have made no arrests in connection to the massacre, leaving the community grappling with both the immediate aftermath of violence and the ongoing threat posed by criminal organizations.
Authorities have not released an official motive; however, indications point to the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel’s involvement, as evidenced by threatening messages left at the scene. Cartel violence has predominantly been associated with bars and clubs in Mexico, making an assault on a church-organized event particularly alarming.
The Episcopal Conference of Mexico expressed its outrage regarding the shooting, emphasizing the relentless cycle of violence afflicting many communities across the country. Local Archbishop Jaime Calderón attributed the incident to ongoing turf wars between the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel and their rivals, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). This region has seen pervasive cartel activity, concentrating on drug trafficking and extortion, alongside incidents of huachicoleo, the illegal extraction and sale of fuel from pipelines.
With Guanajuato recording the most homicides in Mexico for the year 2024 at 2,597, fear has become a tactic employed by cartels to silence and intimidate local populations. Residents of San Bartolo described the scene as horrific, with approximately 100 gunshots filling the air, leaving the central square strewn with bodies. Among the victims, two were under eighteen, underlining the tragic impacts of cartel-related violence that ravage communities at every level.
As of now, authorities have made no arrests in connection to the massacre, leaving the community grappling with both the immediate aftermath of violence and the ongoing threat posed by criminal organizations.
