The president of the Zihuatanejo Hoteliers’ Association was shot and killed Monday night in an attack by two people on a motorcycle.

Luciano Pineda Quiroz, 42, was the owner of the Hotel Real Monrey and served on the board of directors of the local Red Cross.

According to authorities, the shooting occurred around 9:00pm as Pineda Quiroz and his wife were traveling in a vehicle through downtown Zihuatanejo when armed men aboard a motorcycle pulled up next to them and opened fire.

Pineda was already dead when paramedics arrived but his wife was wounded. She was rushed to a hospital where she was last reported in critical condition.

Zihuatanejo, located in Guerrero’s Costa Grande region, is a popular destination for national and international tourists but has been seen a dramatic surge in violent crime since 2017.

In February, the Red Cross temporarily suspended its activities in the city after its local manager was killed. Authorities discovered a handwritten message at the scene of the crime threatening the same fate for Zihuatanejo’s remaining Red Cross workers, prompting many of its volunteers to flee.

Although the mayor said in April that security had improved, statistics show the municipality was 16th on the list of Mexico’s most violent municipalities in the first six months of the year with a homicide rate of 84 per 100,000 people.

Source: El Sol de Acapulco (sp)