Gunmen kill 10 in brazen attack at Queretaro Bar in Mexico

In a brutal assault on a bar in central Mexico, gunmen opened fire late Saturday, killing 10 people and injuring at least seven others.

The violent episode unfolded at Los Cantaritos bar in Queretaro’s downtown district, a city typically known for its safety.

Security footage shows four armed attackers arriving in a pickup truck, storming the venue as patrons scrambled to escape or took cover. Juan Luis Ferrusca, the city’s public security department chief, confirmed the details, adding that emergency responders found the gunmen’s vehicle abandoned and set ablaze. One suspect has been detained.

The victims included three women, and forensic teams are analyzing the crime scene and the torched vehicle. State governor Mauricio Kuri vowed on social media to mobilize all security resources to apprehend the assailants, emphasizing the commitment to safeguarding Queretaro.

Despite its reputation as a relatively peaceful city, Queretaro is not immune to the broader violence plaguing Mexico. Nationwide, over 450,000 people have been murdered since 2006, largely due to drug cartel conflicts. President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office on October 1, has rejected an outright “war” on cartels, instead prioritizing social and intelligence strategies to curb violence.

Recent months have seen an uptick in violence across Mexico, particularly in cartel hotspots like Sinaloa and Guerrero, where gang rivalries have intensified. In Guerrero, the discovery of 11 bodies, part of a missing group of merchants, further underscored the country’s deepening security crisis.