Police in Mexico say 12 people were killed and another 11 injured when gunmen stormed a venue at which a group of young people had gathered for a pre-Christmas religious celebration.
The attack happened in the early hours of Sunday local time in Salvatierra, a town in central Guanajuato state.
The local mayor said that the victims had no links to any crime groups.
While deadly shootouts are not unusual in this region, they normally occur when rival gangs target each other.
Local media reported that a group of around 40 mainly young people had gathered on Saturday evening at a former ranch turned into a venue for hire.
They were celebrating Las Posadas (Spanish for “the inns”), a tradition celebrated between 16 and 24 December during which participants re-enact Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
One of the people who attended the festivity told AFP news agency that the gunmen had opened fire indiscriminately after they were challenged by the guests.
Credit: bbc.com
