Armed attackers stormed a soccer field in central Mexico on Sunday, killing 11 people and wounding six others in a shooting authorities called part of a broader crime wave gripping the region.
The gunmen pulled up in at least three vehicles around 5:30 p.m. local time at a field in the Loma de Flores neighborhood of Salamanca, Guanajuato state, according to Mexican outlet Milenio. Investigators collected over 100 shell casings from high-caliber firearms at the scene.
Ten victims died at the scene and one later died at a hospital, Salamanca Mayor César Prieto Gallardo said. A woman and a minor child were among the six injured, with six still under medical observation, according to Mexican outlet Infobae, citing the Guanajuato Attorney General’s Office. (RELATED: Meet ‘El Mencho,’ One Of Mexico’s Nastiest Drug Kingpins)
Gallardo called the shooting a “regrettable and cowardly” attack and said it was part of a “crime wave” plaguing Salamanca, according to Reuters. He appealed to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for federal assistance, acknowledging local authorities have struggled to contain the violence.
“Lamentablemente hay grupos criminales tratando de someter a la autoridad”, dice el presidente municipal de Salamanca, Guanajuato, César Prieto, luego de la masacre en un campo de fútbol, donde un comando armado asesinó a 11 personas. Pide ayuda a la presidenta Sheinbaum y la… pic.twitter.com/xQoYf5pL91
— Sandra Romandía (@Sandra_Romandia) January 26, 2026
“Unfortunately, there are criminal groups trying to subjugate authorities, something they are not going to achieve,” the mayor said. “Those responsible will be found.”
The massacre capped a violent weekend in Salamanca. Saturday saw separate incidents that left five men dead in the communities of Altamira and Uruétaro, Milenio reported. Hours later, four bags containing human remains were found abandoned in San Antonio de Flores. Days earlier, authorities discovered an explosive device with threatening messages at a state-owned Pemex refinery in the city.
Guanajuato recorded Mexico’s highest homicide total last year amid an ongoing turf war between the local Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, The Associated Press (AP) reported. The Trump administration designated the Jalisco cartel a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025.
The U.S. State Department maintains a Level 3 travel advisory for Guanajuato, urging Americans to reconsider travel due to crime and terrorism. Mexico’s government claims the national murder rate dropped to 17.5 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2025.
Officials say the figure marks the lowest rate since 2016. Analysts question whether official statistics capture the full scope of the country’s violence.
