12 Dead After Gunmen Open Fire at Religious Festival in Mexico’s Guanajuato, Several Others Injured

Mexico: Gunmen opened fire overnight at a lively street celebration for St. John the Baptist in Irapuato, Guanajuato, leaving 12 people dead and about 20 others injured, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

Videos shared on social media captured horrified revelers scrambling for safety as the attackers unleashed their fire. Irapuato official Rodolfo Gómez Cervantes told reporters at a news conference that the death toll had reached 12, with around 20 individuals wounded.

In a statement, President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the attack and assured that the incident is under active investigation.

Guanajuato, northwest of Mexico City, remains one of the most violent states in the country, due to fierce turf wars among organized crime groups. So far this year, the region has recorded 1,435 homicides through May—more than double the count of any other state. Last month, seven people were killed at a Catholic Church event in San Bartolo de Berrios, also in Guanajuato.

(With Inputs from AP)