12 Killed in Mass Shooting at St. John’s Celebration in Mexico’s Guanajuato
Gunmen opened fire on a St. John the Baptist celebration in Barrio Nuevo, Irapuato, Guanajuato. Twelve people were killed and about 20 others wounded, officials confirmed. Revelers dancing and drinking in the street screamed and fled as the attack unfolded at the local festival.
Local authorities, led by Irapuato official Rodolfo Gómez Cervantes, reported the official death toll and stated that municipal and federal forces are actively pursuing the attackers . President Claudia Sheinbaum denounced the “deplorable” incident and confirmed a federal investigation is underway.
Witnesses described chaos as bursts of automatic gunfire rang out and people fled, with some rushing injured victims to hospitals in private vehicles . A viral video shows the moments before and during the mass shooting at the street celebration for the Nativity of John the Baptist.
Guanajuato is Mexico’s most violent state, with 1,435 homicides recorded Jan–May 2025—double that of any other state. The region is a hotbed of cartel violence, particularly conflicts involving the Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
This tragedy follows a similar mass shooting in July 2020, when 38 people were killed at a rehabilitation centre in Irapuato, and a Christmas Eve incident in 2023 in nearby Salvatierra that left 11 dead . In response, state authorities have pledged to intensify security operations.
These attacks underscore the deepening grip of organized crime in public spaces, raising urgent concerns over safety during community and religious events. Guanajuato’s governor Libia García has vowed to deploy federal resources and launch a comprehensive crackdown .
