Gunmen opened fire during a religious festival celebrating the Nativity of John the Baptist in Irapuato, Mexico, on Tuesday night, killing 12 people and injuring at least 20 others in one of the deadliest attacks in the violence-plagued state of Guanajuato.
The shooting erupted around 11:20 p.m. on June 24, 2025, on Bustamante Street in the Barrio Nuevo neighborhood, where locals had gathered to eat and dance in celebration of the Catholic holiday. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as families scattered when the gunfire began during the community festivities.
A 17-year-old was among those killed, along with eight adult men and two women, according to the Guanajuato state prosecutor’s office. Bloodstains were visible on the ground and bullet holes marked the walls following the attack.
One witness told AFP that “it was chaos. People put the wounded into their cars and rushed to hospital to try to save them,” requesting anonymity due to safety concerns. Video footage shared online captured the moment gunfire erupted as people were dancing and socializing, showing the panic that ensued as attendees fled.
The violence was livestreamed on Facebook, with footage showing men, women and families screaming as they were shot at point-blank range. Belongings of victims were scattered on the pavement alongside bullet casings and blood spatter at the scene.
President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the shooting as “deplorable” and announced that authorities had launched an investigation. Speaking at her daily news conference on June 25, Sheinbaum described the incident as a “confrontation” without providing details about the circumstances or the victims.
Guanajuato Governor Libia Dennise condemned the bloodshed and expressed solidarity and condolences to the victims and their families. The Irapuato municipal government called the attack a “cowardly act” and indicated that security forces were searching for the perpetrators who fled the scene.
Local authorities provided psychological support to those affected by the violence. The municipal government coordinated with personnel from the Secretariat of Citizen Security, the Defense Ministry, the National Guard, and the National Police Force to mount a joint operation to locate the alleged perpetrators.
Municipal Police personnel, through the Comprehensive Victim Assistance Center, provided psychological care, legal advice, and support to families filing complaints with appropriate authorities to begin the investigation. Officials indicated they were working in coordination with personnel from the Guanajuato State Attorney General’s Office to provide necessary information to clarify the incident.
The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist is celebrated in Mexico on June 24 to mark the birth of the prophet. The holiday holds significant importance for Catholics, with communities traditionally holding picnics and cookouts, along with water-based events reflecting John’s role in baptizing Jesus Christ.
Guanajuato is a thriving industrial hub and home to several popular tourist destinations, but it has become Mexico’s deadliest state due to gang turf wars, according to official homicide statistics. The state recorded more than 3,000 murders in 2024, the most of any Mexican state.
Much of the violence in Guanajuato stems from conflict between the Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the Jalisco New Generation cartel, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Mexico. The Jalisco cartel has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
The bloodshed in Guanajuato has continued throughout 2025. In May, investigators found 17 bodies in an abandoned house in the state. Days before that discovery, officials reported that gunmen opened fire and killed seven people, including children, with officers finding two banners containing messages alluding to the Santa Rosa de Lima gang.
Criminal violence, most of it linked to drug trafficking, has claimed around 480,000 lives in Mexico since 2006 and left more than 120,000 people missing, according to official figures. Mexico’s murder rate stands at 24.9 murders per 100,000 civilians, though the country’s overall murder rates have been decreasing in recent years.
