Christians in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato are mourning the deaths of seven young people killed during a church-organised event.
Gunmen opened fire at the gathering in the town of San Bartolo de Berrios. While cartel-related violence is tragically common in parts of Mexico, such a targeted assault on a church-run occasion is highly unusual.
Christianity is the predominant religion in Mexico, with 91.3 per cent of the population identifying as Christian. Catholicism remains the largest denomination, representing about 78 per cent of the population, according to the country’s 2020 census.
Mexico’s Episcopal Conference strongly condemned the attack, saying it “cannot remain indifferent to the spiral of violence wounding so many communities”.
The local archbishop, Jaime Calderón, also issued a statement, attributing the violence to ongoing territorial disputes between rival cartels.
Guanajuato recorded the highest number of murders of any Mexican state in 2024, with 2,597 homicides. The region has long been a battleground between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, both vying for control of the area.
Residents reported hearing around 100 gunshots in the early hours of Monday, fired over just a few minutes. Witnesses described the aftermath in the central square as “a bloodbath”.
No arrests have yet been made in connection with the attack.
Mexico currently ranks 31st on the Open Doors World Watch List, which identifies the countries where Christians face the most persecution.