Mexico: Gunmen kill 11 at soccer field in Salamanca
January 26, 2026
A group of men opened fire at a soccer field in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato, killing at least 11 people and wounding 12 more, authorities said.
A woman and a child were among the people killed in the attack, according to Salamanca Mayor Cesar Prieto.
"This incident adds to a wave of violence that we are sadly experiencing in the state, and particularly in Salamanca," he added.
"Unfortunately, criminal groups are trying to subjugate the authorities, which they will not achieve."
He also appealed to President Claudia Sheinbaum for help to control the violence.
According to Prieto, the gumnen arrived at the end of the soccer match.
Investigation underway
Prieto said that the motive of the attack was not immediately clear.
An investigation has been launched into the attack, said the office of the attorney general in the state of Guanajuato, where Salamanca is located.
The office was coordinating authorities to improve security in the area, protect its people and find the likely perpetrators, it added in a statement.
"Those responsible will be found," Prieto added in his Facebook remarks.
Guanajuato is a popular tourist destination and an industrial hub but it is also Mexico's deadliest state due to gang turf wars, according to official homicide statistics.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery