At least six people were killed Friday morning in northwestern Mexico in a new armed attack during a private party, this time targeting the suspected leader of a criminal gang, prosecutors said.
At least 26 people were injured in the attack in Sonora state, less than two weeks after the deaths of 11 young people in the center of the country.
Three gunmen burst into a young girl's 15th birthday party, a tradition ingrained in Mexican and South American families.
According to the prosecutor's press release, the attackers targeted the “leader of a criminal group” who was accused of femicide, kidnapping and criminal organization.
According to the public prosecutor's office, the target and five other people, a total of three men and three women, were killed.
On December 17, eleven young people were killed during a “posada” (pre-Christmas celebration) in the state of Guanajuato (center).
Strangers tried to invite themselves in by force, but the group asked them to leave. The troublemakers then returned accompanied by men armed with rifles, according to the prosecution.
Security expert David Saucedo consulted by AFP suspects that one of the party's organizers was the victim of blackmail by criminal groups.