Mexico: 6 Dead, Dozens Wounded After Gunmen Open Fire at a Party in Sonora

Dozens of partygoers in the northern Mexican border state of Sonora were just enjoying themselves at a party when three gunmen arrived and opened fire at them, killing six and wounding more in the carnage.

The Associated Press reported that two of the Mexican partygoers who were killed were minors.

Reports indicate that at least 26 people have been wounded as a result of the attack, five of those were children. Four of the wounded are in critical condition, while 13 others were treated and released.

The attack was said to have been perpetrated by one of the many drug cartels operating in the area.

As Sonora is a border state, various drug cartels have been vying for control of the many drug smuggling routes to the United States found in this northern Mexican desert state. Bloody turf battles have been common here, including a deadly attack that happened during the Day of the Dead last November. It happened near the border with Arizona.

Gunmen Who Opened Fire Into Mexico Party in Sonora Managed To Escape

Sonora State Prosecutors revealed that the attack on the party happened in Ciudad Obregon. The attackers were reportedly targeting a suspected member of a rival cartel who was attending the party. That suspected rival cartel member is also wanted for homicide and other charges, according to Yahoo! News.

There were four attackers in total, with one of them already in the party and just waiting for the other three attackers to arrive. When the three other gunmen arrived, all four of them opened fire into the crowd, not discriminating between their target and the innocent partygoers near him.

Their target, the suspected cartel member, tried to flee but was one of the six people who were killed in the heinous attack.

The attackers were able to escape, with authorities still trying to look for them in Sonora.

Mexico Gunmen Have Attacked Christmas Parties in Other Areas

Drug cartels across Mexico have not been shy about attacking public gatherings, often attacking and killing multiple people despite only having one specific target attending that party, such as the case that happened in Sonora.

One of the deadliest examples happened in Guanajuato State, where gunmen attacked a religious gathering called a posada or Christmas party, according to the BBC.

The gunmen were reportedly not invited to the posada, and when the actual guests confronted them, they started opening fire, killing 12 people and injuring 11 others. Two women were among those who were killed, with the ages of the victims ranging between 17 to 35.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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