A mother of four from Chicago was among 20 people massacred during a cartel-related shooting at a secret cockfighting site in the western Mexican state of Michoacán on Sunday.
Melissa Silva, 36, was one of three women shot dead after attackers raided the township of Zinapecuaro.
Her sister Arleth Silva, 16, was injured in the shooting and is fighting for her life, Univision reported.
She suffered a gunshot wound in one of her lungs and was hit once in the range league, her sister Yalitza Silva told the network.
“And they told my mom that she needed eight screws in her spine,” she said.
Melissa Silva, a 36-year-old mother of four from Chicago, was one of 20 people massacred at a secret cockfighting site in Michoacán, Mexico, on Sunday. Her 16-year-old sister, Arleth Silva, was seriously injured
Arleth Silva, 16, also sustained a gunshot wound to one of her lungs and was also shot in both legs. The office of Democratic Illinois Congressman Chuy García confirmed to on Wednesday that they have been in contact with the family to help organize her return home and move her sister’s remains
Members of the National Guard and soldiers from the Mexican Army patrol around a scene where illegal cockfighting is taking place after 20 people were killed in Michoacán on Sunday
Yalitza Silva said her sisters were vacationing with their mother in the family’s home state, despite a U.S. State Department travel advisory for Michoacán due to crime and kidnapping.
“I didn’t expect it to be one of my sisters,” said Yalitza Silva. ‘Melissa couldn’t, I mean she was too strong.’
Her mother was at her hotel when she heard the gunshots and rushed to the venue, fainting upon discovering Melissa Silva’s lifeless body.
“She found (Melissa) dead in the middle of the ring and the other (Arleth) fighting for her life for about a meter,” said Alex Silva, who traveled to Michoacán to help prepare for the repatriation of his slain sister’s body and injured sibling.
Arleth Silva of Chicago was wounded Sunday night when gunmen stormed into an illegal cockfighting venue in Michoacán, Mexico, and opened fire
Chicago’s Melissa Silva was among 20 people massacred at an illegal cockfighting venue in Michoacán, Mexico, on Sunday
The cockfighting site in western Mexico became the scene of intense gun violence on Sunday
A spokesman for Illinois Congressman Chuy García confirmed to that they have been in contact with the family to help her.
The attackers apparently planned the attack and got into a stolen truck owned by a takeaway company, according to prosecutors.
“The snack food company’s truck arrived and several armed individuals in camouflage gear got out,” the Michoacán attorney general’s office said. “At the same time, a bus parked in front of the building was used as a blockade,” it said, apparently to prevent the victims from fleeing or calling for help.
The Federal Ministry for Public Security attributed the massacre to a “confrontation between criminal groups”.
It added that a team of federal investigators had been dispatched to the scene.
Investigators from the State Office of the Attorney General of Michoacán have seized 100 7.62 caliber shell casings.
They also found 15 vehicles apparently belonging to the victims, one of which had a sticker with a criminal gang logo on it.
Sixteen men and three women were shot dead when intense crossfire began, authorities said
Michoacán was the scene of a long-running turf war between local cartels and the Jalisco Cartel from the neighboring state of Jalisco. The fighting included the use of bomb-dropping drones, landmines and home-made armored cars.
While illegal in many areas, cockfighting remains a popular pastime in parts of Mexico, although the fights are usually clandestine.
Many cities in western Mexico have cockfighting rings.
In 2018, six people were killed when masked attackers shot at a gathered crowd in Chihuahua.