An armed attack against a group of amateur rally drivers left ten dead and nine injured on Saturday May 20 in the city of Ensenada, in northern Mexico, according to local authorities.
Motorists participating in an off-road race were parked at the side of a highway when several men got out of a van and fired in their direction, the municipality of Ensenada said in a statement.
Videos posted on social media showed the bodies of victims strewn on a dusty road next to 4×4s. Among the injured, some were taken care of immediately by Red Cross rescuers before being transferred to hospitals in the city.
The Baja California State Attorney’s Office, which covers the city of Ensenada, particularly affected by drug-related violence, announced the formation of a “special investigation group” to identify the killers and determine the motives for the attack.
In Mexico, the state of Baja California has the highest number of intentional homicides, most of which are attributed to criminal organizations. Between January and April, 721 murders were recorded there, according to official data. Mexico, mired in a spiral of violence, has recorded more than 400,000 dead and tens of thousands missing since the launch in 2006 of a military offensive against drugs, supported by the United States.