3 Canadians shot, 2 killed, at Mexican resort: local officials

By Michael Lee, CTVNews.ca writer

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    TORONTO, Ontario (CTV Network) — Two Canadians were killed and another was injured in a shooting at a Mexican resort near Playa del Carmen on Friday, local officials have reported.

Quintana Roo state security secretary Lucio Hernández Gutiérrez confirmed the triple shooting on Twitter.

The shooting took place at Hotel Xcaret. All three of those injured were identified as Canadian and Gutiérrez said they were immediately transferred to hospital, where one died.

Gutiérrez also released images of a guest who allegedly shot the individuals, asking for any information that would lead to the person’s arrest. One image shows the individual holding a handgun.

Later, the Quintana Roo state prosecutor’s office confirmed on Twitter that another one of the individuals who was injured had also died.

The suspect in the shooting was apparently a guest, according to the state prosecutor’s office.

In an updated statement provided late Friday evening, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said it is aware of an incident in Mexico involving three Canadian citizens.

“Consular officials are contacting local authorities to gather more information and stand ready to provide consular assistance,” the statement said.

“Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed.”

Public safety analyst Chris Lewis told CTV News Channel on Friday that there is still lots to unfold, including when the individuals involved came to Mexico, where the gun that was used came from, and any business or criminal associations that may exist.

“I don’t see this going on for long before somebody’s behind bars,” he said. “But much investigation obviously, forensically and otherwise, to do, so they’ll be all over this one.”

The shooting follows another in November on the beach of Puerto Morelos that killed two people. Authorities said some 15 gunmen from a gang were involved in what appeared to be a dispute over drug sales there.

Further to the south in Tulum, two tourists — one a California travel blogger born in India and the other German — were caught in the apparent crossfire of rival drug dealers and killed back in October.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent nearly 1,500 members of the National Guard to reinforce security in the area following that shooting.

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