Mexico gun violence

In the city of Playa del Carmen, on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, four people were killed and 12 others were wounded when a gunman opened fire at the Blue Parrot nightclub on Jan. 16 during the closing ceremony of the BPM Electronic Music Festival. A fifth woman, from Colorado, was killed in the ensuing stampede of people escaping the attack. Police were still searching for the gunman at press time.

Police say the attack began after security personnel refused to allow the attacker to enter the club with a gun, and they believe it involved a personal grudge, this despite handwritten signs being hung around the city after the attack purporting to be from the Zetas drug cartel and claiming responsibility for the shooting.

On Jan. 17, several gunmen opened fire on the Quintana Roo state attorney’s office in the city of Cancún, just north of Playa del Carmen, killing one police officer, while three of the attackers were killed by police. Five gunmen were arrested at the scene.

The Cancún attack was believed to be a response to a crackdown on organized crime in the area and not related to the attack in Playa del Carmen.