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Gun attack in Mexico leaves 18 dead

October 6, 2022

An attack in the southern town of San Miguel Totolapan has left at least 18 people dead, including the mayor. Police say the motive behind the killings is still unknown.

https://p.dw.com/p/4Hoe8
Bullet holes the wall of the Municipal Palace of San Miguel Totolapan in Guerrero state
San Miguel Totolapan's mayor was among 18 people gunned down by armed assailantsImage: EPA-EFE

Gunmen on Wednesday killed at least 18 people and wounded two others in a southern Mexican town, including the local mayor, according to authorities.

State prosecutor Sandra Luz Valdovinos told Milenio Television that the attack took place at the town hall in San Miguel Totolapan in Guerrero state.

"So far we have 18 confirmed dead," Valdovinos told the TV station. The motive for the killings was not immediately clear.

What we know about the attack

The attack is alleged to have been carried out by the "Los Tequileros" gang, which is affiliated to a powerful drug cartel.

Local media reported that the gunmen targeted the town hall in broad daylight. Footage and photos from the scene show the municipal building's bullet-riddled walls.

According to Valdovinos, Mayor Conrado Mendoza and his father — who was himself a former mayor — were among the dead. Police officers and city council workers were also killed, the prosecutor's office told local media.

The town, with its population of around 4,300 people, has a history of violence involving drug cartels.

In 2016, disgruntled locals, fed up with abductions carried out by the "Los Tequileros" gang, kidnapped the gang leader's mother.

The gang's influence had waned in recent years following the death of one of its leaders during a 2018 gunfight with local authorities.

Searching for Mexico's disappeared

kb/nm (AFP, AP)