Gunmen kill 10 in bar shooting in Mexico’s Queretaro state

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(Reuters) -Gunmen killed 10 people in a bar in the central Mexican state of Queretaro late Saturday, authorities said, adding to a wave of violent crime that is gripping several areas of the country.

The incident took place in a bar in the downtown area of the state’s capital, also known as Queretaro, where four gunmen entered, killing seven men and three women, according to the state attorney general and Queretaro city’s security chief.

Seven other people were injured. One person was so far in police custody, authorities said. Investigators were at the scene and also looking into a vehicle believed to be linked to the incident.

Queretaro is not commonly prone to high levels of violent crime, such as homicide, and is considered relatively safer than many other areas of Mexico.

“I reiterate to the people of Queretaro that there will be punishment for those responsible for this brutal act, we will continue to seal our borders and maintain the security of our state,” Queretaro governor Mauricio Kuri said on X.

Mexico is dealing with a security crisis linked to organized crime and warring factions of drug cartels that is one of the most pressing challenges for new Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

There have been 2,788 homicides in the country since her inauguration on Oct 1., according to pollster TResearch’s analysis of government data.

Sheinbaum has vowed to crack down on violent crime and unveiled a security plan aimed at increasing opportunities for vulnerable young people, improving intelligence sharing among government institutions and beefing up the country’s National Guard.

(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz, Noe Torres and Cassandra Garrison in Mexico City, and Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard and Giles Elgood)