MEXICO CITY (CN) - In her Monday morning press conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum vowed to work closely with the Guanajuato state government to investigate the case of an armed group that killed 11 people during a neighborhood soccer game in the town of Loma de Flores, Guanajuato, on Sunday in the municipality of Salamanca. The death toll includes a woman and a minor; 12 more were wounded, and the motives remain unknown.
"The governor and the Attorney General's Office of Guanajuato made a statement. The federal government of Mexico, through the Security Cabinet, is in coordination with them in order to find those responsible," said Sheinbaum, responding to a statement made by Guanajuato Governor Libia Dennise Garcia Munoz Ledo on X.
"What happened in the community of Loma de Flores in Salamanca is an unacceptable event that deeply hurts Guanajuatense families. Our solidarity is with the victims and their loved ones," Munoz Ledo said in her statement following the massacre.
Munoz Ledo added that the Attorney General's Office of Guanajuato and federal armed forces immediately engaged in an operation to secure the area and begin their investigation.
"The Attorney General's Office of Guanajuato strongly condemns these acts that threaten life and social harmony, and therefore acts with firmness, responsibility and sensitivity, placing the victims and their families at the center of the investigation and access to justice," reads a statement made by the Attorney General's Office of Guanajuato.
The Attorney General's Office of Guanajuato also vowed to coordinate with state, municipal and federal authorities to reinforce security in the area and locate those likely responsible.
According to witness testimony shared with Mexican news outlet Milenio, armed men arrived in three trucks to the Campos de las Cabanas soccer field in Loma de Flores and indiscriminately opened fire on dozens of people congregated in and around the field after finishing up a neighborhood match.
Witnesses say at least 100 shots were fired.
On Sunday night, Salamanca Mayor Cesar Prieto responded to the attacks in a video posted to the Mayor's Office of Salamanca Facebook page.
He said Sunday's massacre is part of a larger wave of violence in the municipality and discussed a crisis of authority.
"There are criminal groups trying to take make authority submit to them, which they will not achieve," he said.
Prieto referred to three armed attacks, all on Saturday, in the municipality of Salamanca that left five dead. He also mentioned the discovery of human remains hours later on the same night.
On Jan. 22, security forces disarmed a possible explosive device outside a PEMEX oil refinery also in Salamanca.
Prieto went on to stress Salamanca's importance as an industrial hub. The Antonio M. Amor refinery is one of the top-producing refineries in the country, located in Salamanca.
"We are an important piece of development, but we are experiencing a grave moment, a moment of serious social breakdown," he said.
"I take this opportunity to call on the president of the Republic, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum, and the governor to support us to recover the peace, tranquility and security that the people of Salamanca deserve," Prieto added.
Sheinbaum reported in a press conference on Jan. 9 that Guanajuato led the country in homicides during 2025 with 2,539 homicides, making up almost 11% of the country's total.
Source: Courthouse News Service
