Mexico Shooting: Search for Bodies Underway After Reports of 17 People from Michoacan State Were Gunned Down by Mexican Drug Cartel

Authorities from Mexico started searching for bodies on Monday after reports of as many as 17 people who attended a wake in the Michoacan state were gunned down by an unknown Mexican drug cartel on Sunday.

According to Reuters, the shooting occurred in the town of San Jose de Gracia, a town located around 200 kilometers west of Morelia, the capital of Michoacan, Mexico.

Michoacan's Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) said that they sent a team composed of the National Guard and Mexican Army personnel upon receiving the reports of the shooting incident, per The Daily Mail.

However, authorities from the prosecutor's office noted that they only found bullet casings and cleaning materials, and the bodies were not found, BBC reported.

Local officials mentioned that as many as 17 people were gunned down by unknown cartel members, but the prosecutor's office has not yet confirmed any deaths.

Mexico Shooting: Probe Underway After 17 Reportedly Gunned Down by Mexican Drug Cartel

The investigation for the reported shooting in Mexico was also underway on Monday, aside from the search of the possible victims of the unknown members of the Mexican drug cartel in Michoacan state.

Forensic experts added that the scene appeared to "have just been cleaned" before their arrival, but the bullet casing they found, indicate that a shooting had taken place. Furthermore, the authorities also discovered two cars and a motorcycle with multiple bullet holes, BBC noted.

In addition, the Michoacan Chief Prosecutor's Office (FGE) said that the cleaning products were found inside a bag saying "site had recently been washed," per Reuters.

Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Monday urged the public to lengthen the patience as the FGE continue their investigation in "unearthing" the facts surrounding the shooting incident.

"We still don't have information," López Obrador said during his daily morning press conference on Monday.

The Mexican president also expressed his hopes, saying that the alleged number of deaths during "was not true."

As of date, it is still unclear which Mexican drug cartel was responsible for the shooting.

However, The Daily Mail noted that the incident took place in an area where the Nueva Familia Michoacana gang, Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and elements of the Knights Templar Cartel, carry out their illegal activities and engage in turf wars.

Mexico Shooting: Video Shows Fatal Incident that Reportedly Killed Wake Goers in Michoacan

The investigation and search for possible victims of the shooting came after a video surfaced online, showing the fatal incident involving the unknown Mexican Drug Cartel.

According to reports, the video showed the moment where the drug cartel pulled around 17 people from a wake in Michoacan, Mexico, and lined them up against the wall with their hands above their heads.

The video, which was recorded from a high vantage point, also showed several gunmen pointing their rifles at the mourners until the gunfire erupted.

Reuters noted that the video also showed the same spot on the street, however, the mourners can no longer be seen and there is only dust and smoke is rising in the air.

It is not the first time that mourners were taken as victims by Mexican drug cartels. BBC mentioned that earlier this month, at least nine mourners were killed in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The said wake was for a man who had died in prison.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Horrifying moment Mexican drug cartel thugs pull mourners from a wake - From The Daily Mail