The organizer of the annual Christmas and New Year fair in the Mexican city of Chilpancingo was shot in public on Christmas Eve, authorities in the restive state of Guerrero said Tuesday.
The shooting took place at an intersection in a San Mateo neighborhood while the performers were preparing for a traditional dance show.
State prosecutors said Martín Ramírez Ruiz was directly targeted by the gunmen, who moved through the cast and other staff and then attacked them.
Ramírez Ruiz, along with another man, was killed in the attack and a third man nearby was injured.
Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado said the killing of Ramirez Ruiz on Christmas Eve was “an unacceptable act that will not be spared,” adding that the investigation was ongoing.
The Christmas and New Year’s Eve fair runs from approximately Christmas to January 7 and honors the local patron saint, St. Matthew. This is a tradition that has been going on for almost 200 years.
Ramírez Ruiz was the latest head of the organization responsible for the arts, food and handicrafts fair.
Prosecutors provided no information about possible motives, but organized crime groups have been responsible for several killings in the region.
The gang was in Chilpancingo
Specifically, two rival drug gangs, the Talcos and the Ardilos, are fighting for control of the city of Chilpancingo.
The dispute has led to unprecedented levels of violence against officials and residents.
The victims included Alejandro Arcos, mayor of the state capital, who was assassinated just a week after taking office. Meyer’s body was found in a pickup truck, his severed head resting on the roof of the vehicle.
The murder was attributed to one of the rival gangs.
JCG/DJ (EFE, AP)