A shooting at a popular beach in Mexico killed three people and wounded two others Sunday.
Gunmen opened fire on a group of people at the entrance to Playa Palmilla in Los Cabos, News.com.au reports. Police evacuated the beach.
“We heard the shots and just ran to get somewhere safe,” a tourist told the BBC. “It was automatic weapons fire.”
According to the Associated Press via KCRA3, the prosecutor’s office for Baja California Sur says the attack happened Sunday afternoon while the beach was crowded with both Mexican and foreign tourists. According to analysts cited by the AP, there has been a surge in violence in southern Baja California this year, although most of the incidents have taken place outside of tourist areas. Analysts say that some of the violence could be due to fighting between factions in the Sinaloa drug cartel, as well as with the rival Jalisco New Generation cartel.
The BBC reports that the violence may also have been prompted by the arrest of top drug cartel leaders, which has led to independent criminal groups engaged in drug trafficking, robbery and kidnapping. Separately, a mass grave was also discovered in the mountainous region of Valparaiso in the northern state of Zacatecas. The grave contained the bodies of 11 men and three women.
Related Stories
Gov’t Test Finds No Tainted Alcohol at Mexico Resort
Is it Safe to Travel to Turkey? One Travel Agent Shares Her Take