Still recovering from the damage wrought by Hurricane Otis last October, Acapulco is now reeling from a wave of violence that has seen at least 15 people killed this week in the Guerrero resort city.
The latest incident of violence in Acapulco occurred Thursday at a grocery store within the El Pueblito handicrafts market, a popular stop for tourists. The Guerrero prosecutor’s office is investigating the attack, in which armed men killed four men and a woman and wounded a sixth victim.
Witnesses to the late afternoon shooting that took place near the Costera Miguel Alemán — the main beachfront strip around Acapulco harbor — told authorities that two men walked up to the store and started shooting. The suspects then fled north along Universidad Avenue.
National Guard troops arrived shortly thereafter to cordon off the area as forensic specialists combed the scene for evidence. Paramedics treated the injured victim and transported him to the hospital.
Acapulco authorities report more shoot-outs and more bodies
This shooting comes just two days after authorities revealed that they had recovered 10 bodies found scattered around the resort city, which has seen an increase in cartel violence in recent years. There were also at least four shoot-outs reported Monday night.
CBS News reported six bodies found Monday night “on an avenue near a market” about 15 kilometers (9 miles) north of the harbor. The victims — among them two women — were bound hand and foot and piled on top of each other, according to the Spanish newspaper El País. Local media reported the bodies had been thrown from a car.
Hours earlier, three men and a woman had been shot dead in Colonia Flores Magón, about 2 kilometers from where the six bodies were dumped. Aristegui Noticias reported that at least 12 people were killed Monday, including a man working at a tortilla shop while CBS News said a man was shot dead in the tourist part of the city.
The violence follows an April attack in which a traffic policeman was shot dead while the month of February saw the murder of three people on beaches in Acapulco, including one incident in which a gunman arrived and escaped by boat.
Disputes between drug cartels have plagued Guerrero for years, with federal authorities reporting 1,401 homicides in the Pacific coast state last year alone. Acapulco’s recent killings also come in the midst of a wave of electoral violence ahead of the June 2 elections, which will be the largest in Mexican history.
With reports from CBS News, Aristegui Noticias and El País
