Gunmen open fire at football match in Mexico, killing at least 11

Gunmen opened fire at a football match in central Mexico on Sunday, killing at least 11 people and wounding 12, in the latest outburst of violence in Guanajuato state.

César Prieto, the mayor of the town of Salamanca in central Guanajuato state, said in a statement posted to social media platforms that the gunmen arrived at the end of a match. Ten people died at the scene and one died later at a hospital.

A woman and a child were among 12 people injured in what Prieto called a “regrettable and cowardly” attack. He said the attack was part of a crimewave in the city and appealed to the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, for help to control the violence.

The state prosecutor’s office said it was investigating and coordinating with federal authorities to reinforce security in the area.

A Mexican Red Cross team at the scene of the attack. Photograph: EPA

Guanajuato has been for many years one of the most violent regions in the country, owing to turf wars between rival cartels. On Saturday, five people were killed in two separate attacks near Salamanca, Prieto said.

Salamanca is also home to one of seven refineries operated in Mexico by the state oil company Pemex, and fuel theft is responsible for one of Mexico’s largest criminal economies.

Prieto said: “This incident adds to a wave of violence that we are sadly experiencing in the state, and particularly in Salamanca. Unfortunately, criminal groups are trying to subjugate the authorities, which they will not achieve.”

Guanajuato borders Jalisco, the capital of which, Guadalajara, is one of the host cities for this year’s men’s football World Cup.

The Guanajuato governor, Libia Dennise, called the attack “unacceptable” in a statement on social media and said security in the state had been reinforced, without providing details.

Sheinbaum, when asked at her regular press conference on Monday morning for information about the attack, deferred to the state attorney general’s office, which said it was coordinating efforts with municipal, state and federal authorities to strengthen security in the area, protect people and find the perpetrators.

Prieto vowed in his Facebook remarks: “Those responsible will be found.”