Gunmen kill at least 11 in shooting after football match

The mayor of Salamanca Cesar Prieto called on President Claudia Sheinbaum to help control the violence in the city. Picture: AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File.

At least 11 people have died and 12 others were injured after gunmen opened fire at a football pitch in central Mexico, authorities said.

Salamanca mayor Cesar Prieto said the gunmen arrived at the end of a match.

Ten people died at the scene and one died later at a hospital. The mayor said a woman and a minor were among the wounded.

Mr Prieto said the attack was part of a “crime wave” in the city and appealed to Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum for help to control the violence.

The Guanajuato state prosecutor’s office said it was investigating and coordinating with federal authorities to reinforce security in the area.

Guanajuato had Mexico’s highest homicide total last year. A local gang, Santa Rosa de Lima, has been battling the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

“Unfortunately, there are criminal groups trying to subjugate authorities, something they are not going to achieve,” the mayor said.

Overall, Mexico’s government said the country’s 2025 murder rate was the lowest since 2016 at 17.5 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, although analysts cautioned that the numbers may not fully reflect the country’s violence.