MEXICO CITY — At least 11 people were killed and 12 others wounded after a group of gument opened fire at a football field in central Mexico on Sunday, in an attack that local officials described as part of a worsening wave of criminal violence.
The shooting took place in the Loma de Flores neighbourhood of Salamanca, in the violence-hit state of Guanajuato, shortly after a local football match ended, according to municipal and state authorities. But the motive of the attack was not immediately clear.
Salamanca Mayor Cesar Prieto said in a Facebook post that the armed assailants arrived at the field as people were gathered after the match ended and began firing indiscriminately.
A woman and a child were among those injured in the "regrettable and cowardly" attack in the Loma de Flores community during a social gathering, Prieto added, describing the incident as a severe social breakdown.
An investigation has been launched into the attack, said the office of the attorney general in the state of Guanajuato, where Salamanca is located.
The office was coordinating efforts with municipal, state and federal authorities to strengthen security in the area, protect its people and find the likely perpetrators, it added in a statement.
"Those responsible will be found," Prieto added in his Facebook remarks.
In a statement, Prieto said the city was experiencing a surge in criminal violence and warned that organised crime groups were attempting to undermine state authority.
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"This incident adds to a wave of violence that we are sadly experiencing in the state, and particularly in Salamanca," he added. "Unfortunately, criminal groups are trying to subjugate the authorities, which they will not achieve."
Describing the situation as grave, Prieto appealed directly to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and state officials for additional security support.
“Today we are going through a serious moment, a serious social breakdown,” Prieto said.
“I am asking the president and the governor for support so we can restore peace,” he added. “We will move forward, and those responsible will be found.”
Guanajuato recorded Mexico’s highest homicide total last year and has become a focal point of organised crime in recent years. The violence has been driven largely by clashes between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, rival groups fighting for control of territory and illicit markets.
The conflict has led to repeated mass shootings, hundreds of killings and disappearances, and the discovery of clandestine graves across the state.
Mexico’s federal government has said the country’s 2025 murder rate fell to its lowest level since 2016, at 17.5 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. However, analysts caution that national figures may obscure intense, localised violence in states such as Guanajuato. — Agencies
