The attack, in which a gunman opened fire at a soccer field in Mexico on Sunday, leaving at least 11 people dead and 12 injured, underscores the country’s struggle with violent crime.
The attack occurred after a match at a private soccer field in Salamanca, a city in the violent Guanajuato state that has seen several deaths in recent days.
Salamanca’s mayor, Cesar Prieto, said gunmen arrived after the match and began shooting people, calling it a “deplorable and despicable attack” and a moment of “serious social breakdown.”
It is unclear what prompted the attack. The state attorney general’s office said it was investigating.
According to prosecutors, 10 people died at the scene and one person died during treatment at a hospital. The mayor said women and minors were among the injured.
The mayor said Saturday’s attack followed another attack in the Salamanca neighborhood that killed six people and an attack on a state-run Pemex oil company facility that was thwarted by federal authorities who deactivated an explosive device.
“Criminal groups are trying to overwhelm the authorities, but they will not be able to achieve that,” Prieto said, adding that he had requested assistance from state and federal authorities to “restore peace.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the federal security cabinet was working with state officials and prosecutors to identify those responsible, and Guanajuato Governor Livia García Muñoz Ledo said security in the region was being strengthened.
“The State Attorney General’s Office strongly condemns these acts that threaten life and social harmony and is therefore acting with resolute responsibility and sensitivity, putting victims and their families at the center of investigations and access to justice,” Guanajuato authorities said.
Guanajuato borders the state of Jalisco and will host several World Cup soccer matches later this year. Levels of organized crime are high, and Mexico has one of the highest homicide rates per capita.
The attack comes amid pressure on Sheinbaum from US President Donald Trump, who has called for Mexico to step up operations against criminal organizations, particularly drug cartels.
Official figures show that many high-impact crimes, such as intentional homicide, have fallen across the country in recent months. The daily average for intentional homicides fell 37% in Sheinbaum’s first year, with November recording the lowest number since 2015, according to the National Public Safety System Secretariat.
However, following the arrest in Texas of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, one of the founding leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, in 2024, violence has escalated in some parts of the country, including the northwestern state of Sinaloa. His arrest sparked a civil war between rival factions of a powerful criminal organization. To this day, a wave of violence rages in Sinaloa and other states where the cartels hold sway.
