Mexican authorities have launched an investigation into a deadly shooting at a soccer field in Salamanca that left at least 11 people dead and 12 others injured, as violent crime continues to grip parts of the country.
The state attorney general’s office confirmed it is probing the attack, which occurred on Sunday after a match at a private soccer facility in the central Mexican city, located in the violence-hit state of Guanajuato.
Prosecutors said 10 victims died at the scene, while another succumbed to injuries later at a hospital.
According to Salamanca’s Mayor César Prieto, an armed group arrived shortly after the game and opened fire on those present.
He condemned the incident as a “deplorable and cowardly attack” and described it as evidence of a “grave social breakdown.” Among the wounded were a woman and a minor, the mayor said.
Authorities have not yet determined the motive behind the assault.
The shooting came amid a wave of violence in and around Salamanca. On Saturday, separate attacks in the area claimed six lives, while an attempted assault on a facility belonging to state oil company Pemex was foiled after federal authorities deactivated an explosive device, Prieto disclosed.
“Criminal groups are trying to subdue the authorities, something they will not achieve,” the mayor said, adding that he had requested additional state and federal support to “restore peace.”
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said the federal security cabinet is working closely with state officials and prosecutors to identify those responsible.
Guanajuato Governor Libia García Muñoz Ledo also announced that security measures in the region were being reinforced.
“The state attorney general’s office strongly condemns these acts that threaten life and social harmony, and is therefore acting with firmness, responsibility and sensitivity, placing the victims and their families at the center of the investigation and access to justice,” Guanajuato authorities said.
Guanajuato, which borders Jalisco—one of the host states for upcoming World Cup matches later this year—has long struggled with organized crime and records one of Mexico’s highest homicide rates per capita.
The latest attack comes as Sheinbaum faces mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has urged Mexico to intensify its crackdown on criminal groups, particularly drug cartels.
While official data show a nationwide decline in several high-impact crimes in recent months, violence remains acute in certain regions.
Government figures indicate a 37% drop in the daily average of intentional homicides during Sheinbaum’s first year in office, with November posting the lowest figure since 2015, according to the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System.
However, bloodshed has surged in states such as Sinaloa following the 2024 arrest in Texas of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a founding leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.
His capture triggered an internal power struggle that continues to fuel deadly clashes in Sinaloa and other areas under the cartel’s influence.
