Gunmen open fire at a Mexican city hall killing 18, including town mayor

At least 18 people died, including the mayor of a town, following a gunfight in southern Mexico on Wednesday, authorities said. The attack happened in Totolapan in the state of Guerrero. Some men opened fire at the city hall in Guerrero and the incident appears to be linked to organised crime.

Mayor Conrado Mendoza, his father and former Mayor Juan Mendoza and other city officials are among those killed. Pictures circulating on social media show bloody scenes and the walls of the city hall with bullet holes in them. Police also responded to a nearby house, where many people were found dead from apparent gunshot wounds.

Local media reports suggest that following the incident, blockades with burning buses and other vehicles were seen in nearby municipalities. This tactic is commonly associated with organized crime in Mexico. The criminal group “Los Tequileros” later claimed responsibility for the attack in a video shared on social media.

The PRD political party, to which Conrado Mendoza belonged, issued a statement confirming the mayor’s death. The party condemned the attack and called for justice.

This is the third such incident in Mexico in recent weeks. On September 21, a group of gunmen killed 10 people at a bar in Guanajuato. A week later, the police chief of Calera, Zacatecas and five other policemen were killed in a similar fashion.

(With inputs from agencies)