Seven Killed In Bar Shooting In Cancun As Popular Resort Welcomes Thousands Of Spring Breakers
Two men who wielded a machine gun and a hand gun opened fire inside a bar called The Mermaid, killing seven and wounding four more, the Telegraph reported. The Mermaid is located just outside of Cancun’s city center, and no motive for the attack has been reported. Reuters initially claimed that six people were killed in the shooting incident, but another individual has since died.
Security concerns have increased as the popular resort city of Cancun, located in southeast Mexico, is currently hosting thousands of college students from the United States who are on spring break. According to the Telegraph, the shooting occurred at the Zona Hotel, which is located in the eastern part of the city, several miles from where the majority of spring breakers stay while in Cancun.
The four wounded and seven killed were not tourists or spring breakers, the Telegraph reported. While no motive has been reported by police, it is believed that the victims were members of a taxi drivers' union. Soldiers have been dispatched to the hospital where the four wounded are currently being treated as a cautionary measure, the Telegraph reported.
Mexico has recently struggled to reduce violence within its borders as the government tries to tackle drug cartels and the illegal drug trade. Since 2007, more than 70,000 deaths have been attributed to drug-related violence, Reuters reported. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has made reducing drug-related violence a priority during his time in office.
Resort locations, such as Cancun or Acapulco in Mexico, have not been immune to violence in the past. In February, six women were raped by gunmen who broke into their rented beach house, according to Reuters. Acapulco, once a rival tourist destination to Cancun, has lost some appeal as it has been plagued with drug-related violence while Cancun has thus far avoided such violent high profile incidents.
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