Eight people lost their lives, and two others were injured in a horrifying attack on a roadside stand in Apaseo el Grande, a town in north-central Mexico, late Saturday. Gunmen suddenly showed up, opened fire on people at the busy spot, and left a scene of devastation.
The stand, located in a commercial area known for its food and refreshment stalls, was selling a traditional milk-based fudge when the attack happened. Among the dead were eight men who died right outside the stand. A man and a woman were also hurt, but officials haven’t provided updates on their condition yet.
Heartbreakingly, two firefighters and an emergency medical technician were among those killed, as confirmed by the state ambulance and paramedic agency. This attack has left the small town reeling in grief.
Videos shared on social media show the tragic aftermath, with bodies of victims lying near motorcycles outside the stand. These disturbing images are a grim reminder of the growing violence in this part of Mexico.
Apaseo el Grande and its neighboring town, Apaseo el Alto, have seen several mass shootings over the years, all linked to ongoing battles between warring drug cartels. Places like bars, clubs, and even roadside businesses have frequently been targets since 2018.
The problem of cartel violence remains rampant despite Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, taking office on October 1. Sheinbaum has made it clear that her government will not resort to declaring war on the cartels. Instead, she’s focusing on gathering intelligence to weaken their operations and investing in social programs to address the root causes of crime. But as the violence continues, many question whether these strategies can effectively bring peace.
Guanajuato, the state where this tragedy occurred, has long been one of Mexico’s most violent regions. It’s an important hub for industry and farming but is also the battleground for a deadly turf war between two powerful groups: the Jalisco cartel and the Santa Rosa de Lima gang.
This is not the first time Guanajuato has been in the headlines for its shocking violence. Just last month, in the town of Salamanca, 12 tortured bodies of police officers were found in separate locations, with chilling messages left behind by cartels. Less than a day before that, four people were killed in an attack on a residential center for recovering addicts in the same town.
Earlier this year, in June, six family members, including a baby and a toddler, were murdered in Guanajuato. In April, a mayoral candidate was gunned down while campaigning. And last December, 11 people were killed during a pre-Christmas party in the state, just days after five university students were found dead inside a vehicle.
The violence has become so severe that the U.S. State Department has urged Americans to reconsider traveling to Guanajuato, particularly its southern regions, where cartel-related murders are at their worst.
For towns like Apaseo el Grande, the pain of this latest tragedy is another reminder of the ongoing struggle against crime and the desperate need for peace.
