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(LifeSiteNews) — Eleven people were murdered and at least 20 others wounded after gunmen opened fire during a Catholic religious festival in Irapuato, Guanajuato, on the night of June 24.
The gunmen struck during the annual celebration of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, opening fire as music played and families gathered.
Local reports described scenes of horror and confusion, with witnesses rushing the wounded to hospitals in private vehicles in a desperate effort to save lives.
The feast of St. John the Baptist is widely observed in Catholic communities across Mexico.
The victims included a 17-year-old boy, eight men, and two women. The Barrio Nuevo neighborhood was still stained with blood on Wednesday morning.
Video shared online captured the moment gunfire erupted, sending crowds fleeing as screams pierced the air. Bullet holes riddled surrounding buildings.
Al Jazeera reported that authorities are blaming “an ongoing turf war” between gangs and cartels. Guanajuato is home to some of Mexico’s richest Catholic traditions, but cartel conflict has made it one of its deadliest regions.
Once a hub of colonial heritage and industrial expansion, Guanajuato recorded over 3,000 homicides last year – more than any other state in Mexico.
Since 2006, cartel-related violence has killed more than 480,000 nationwide, with over 120,000 still missing.
Seven young men were also murdered last month in a celebration organized by a Catholic parish in Guanajuato, and eight young men, including members of the Pastoral Juvenil, were killed after the celebration of the Holy Mass in a park close to the church in March.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the attack as “deplorable,” though she referred to it as a “confrontation” at her Wednesday press briefing. She vowed that federal authorities would investigate.
Guanajuato Governor Libia Dennise echoed the outrage and pledged justice for the victims’ families.
The city government denounced the massacre as a “cowardly act,” promising support for grieving relatives and psychological aid for survivors.
