Twelve people, including a 17-year-old, lost their lives and 20 others were wounded in a brutal mass shooting at a religious celebration in Irapuato, a city in Mexico’s Guanajuato state plagued by gang violence. The assault took place during festivities for the Nativity of John the Baptist, where gunmen opened fire on a crowd gathered at a local housing complex.

Victims included eight men and two women. Authorities called the act “cowardly” and vowed to bring justice. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as people rushed the wounded to hospitals. Governor Libia Dennise and President Claudia Sheinbaum strongly denounced the brutal attack, assuring that a full investigation is in progress to bring those responsible to justice.

Guanajuato, though economically vital and popular with tourists, is one of Mexico’s most violent regions due to gang wars, notably between the Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the Jalisco cartel. Last year alone, over 3,000 murders were recorded in the state. A similar attack last month killed seven at a church party nearby.