Gunmen open fire inside Mexico bar killing at least 10, including 3 women

Gunmen in a truck pulled up to a bar in central Mexico and opened fire, killing 10 people, authorities said, in an area that had been spared the worst of the country’s raging criminal violence.

The attack on Los Cantaritos bar in Queretaro’s downtown district left 10 people dead inside and at least seven injured, according to the city’s public security department chief Juan Luis Ferrusca.

“Emergency services arrived at the scene and confirmed that at least four people armed with long weapons had arrived on board a pickup truck,” Ferrusca said in a video on social media.

One suspect was detained and the vehicle used in the attack was found abandoned and set on fire, he said, adding that there were no reports of similar incidents in the city.

The victims included three women, according to the Queretaro state prosecutor’s office, which said forensic experts were examining the scene of the attack and the vehicle.

Queretaro, the capital of Queretaro state, is considered one of the safer cities in Mexico, which has been plagued by years of drug cartel-related violence.

Located around 120 miles northwest of Mexico City, it is known for its Spanish colonial architecture.

Spiraling violence, much of it linked to drug trafficking and gangs, has seen more than 450,000 people murdered in Mexico since 2006.

Earlier this month, gunmen stormed a hospital in the central town of Atlixco in Puebla state. They attacked and killed a man recovering from a gunshot wound, shooting him more than 10 times before fleeing. Two police officers were also killed.

Atlixco, a popular tourist destination, receives thousands of visitors for the Day of the Dead festival.

Spiraling violence, much of it linked to drug trafficking and gangs, has seen more than 450,000 people murdered in Mexico since 2006.

Tackling the murders and kidnappings that are a daily occurrence in Mexico is among the major challenges facing President Claudia Sheinbaum.

The former Mexico City mayor, who became the country’s first woman president on October 1, has ruled out declaring “war” on drug cartels.

Instead, she has pledged to continue her predecessor’s strategy of using social policy to tackle crime at its roots, while also making better use of intelligence. Sheinbaum has also studiously avoided using the “hugs, not bullets” slogan popularized by her predecessor and mentor, López Obrador.

The northwestern cartel stronghold of Sinaloa has seen a surge in violence since the July arrest of drug lord Ismael Zambada in the United States unleashed a wave of gang infighting.

There has also been a spike in bloodshed in the southern state of Guerrero, the scene of long-running gang turf wars.

Authorities said Thursday that the bodies of 11 people, including two minors, were found abandoned in a pickup truck in the state capital Chilpancingo.

They were part of a group of 17 people — reported to be traveling merchants — who were declared missing last month.

The highway where they were found is also the main route between Mexico City and the resort of Acapulco.

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