The organizer of the annual Christmas and New Year’s fair in the Mexican city of Chilpancingo was gunned down in public on Christmas Eve, authorities in the restive state of Guerrero said on Tuesday.
The shooting took place in a square of the San Mateo neighborhood, while performers were preparing for a traditional dance show.
State prosecutors said Martin Ramirez Ruiz was directly targeted by the gunmen who waded through the performers and other staff and then attacked him.
Another person was killed along with Ramirez Ruiz, and a third person nearby was wounded in the attack.
Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado said the Christmas Eve killing Ramirez Ruiz was “an unacceptable act that will not go unpunished,” adding that an investigation was ongoing.
The Christmas and New Years Eve fair runs from roughly Christmas to January 7 and it honors the local patron saint, Saint Matthew. It’s a tradition spanning nearly 200 years.
Ramirez Ruiz was the latest head of the organization responsible for the arts, food and handcrafts fair.
Prosecutors did not provide any information on possible motives, but organized crime groups have been responsible for numerous killings in the region.
Gang war in Chilpancingo
In particular, two rival drug gangs, the Tlacos and the Ardillos, have been fighting for control of the city of Chilpancingo.
The dispute has unleashed unprecedented levels of violence against officials and residents.
The victims include state capital’s mayor Alejandro Arcos, who was killed just a week after he took office. The mayor’s body was found in a pickup truck, with his severed head placed on the roof of the vehicle.
The killing was attributed to one of the rival gangs.
jcg/dj (EFE, AP)
