Tragedy Strikes: Mayoral Candidate and 5 Others Killed at Mexican Campaign Rally

A mayoral candidate and five others were killed in a shooting at a campaign rally in Chiapas, Mexico. State prosecutors confirmed the deaths, including that of a young girl, and reported two injuries. The incident occurred in La Concordia, an area plagued with drug cartel conflicts. It remains unclear if candidate Lucero López Maza was the targeted victim. This violence adds to the ongoing turmoil ahead of Mexico's July elections, with approximately 20 political candidates already killed in 2024.

A mayoral candidate and five other people were killed when people opened fire at a campaign rally in the violence-wracked southern Mexico state of Chiapas, officials said.

State prosecutors said a young girl was among the six people killed in the gunfire late Thursday, along with mayoral candidate Lucero López Maza. Two people also were wounded.

"A confrontation broke out between armed civilians during a political campaign event," prosecutors said in a statement.

It was unclear whether López Maza was the intended target of the attack, because shootings have become so common and widespread in the area.

The mass shooting occurred at a crossroads in the rural town of La Concordia, Chiapas, about 80 miles (125 km) from the border with Guatemala.

The area near the Guatemalan border is a major smuggling route for drugs and migrants, and Mexico's two main drug cartels have been fighting for control of the region.

On Tuesday, 11 people were killed in mass shootings in a village in the township of Chicomuselo, Chiapas, a few dozen miles away from La Concordia.

Mexico's July 2 elections have also been marred by violence, with about 20 candidates killed so far in 2024.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)