One Canadian has been killed and two others 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 a hotel in Xcaret, Mexico. 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.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said it is aware of reports that Canadian citizens have been affected by an incident in Mexico.
"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."
The Quintana Roo state prosecutor’s office said on Twitter that the suspect in the shooting also was apparently a guest. It said it had been informed by Canadian police that the suspect has a history of robbery, drug and weapons offenses.
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.
Sobre los deplorables acontecimientos del hotel Xcaret, los tres lesionados fueron traslados de inmediato al hospital, en donde lamentablemente uno fallece, los tres huéspedes son de origen Canadiense. pic.twitter.com/R9Ax57DCUu
— Lucio Hernández Gutiérrez (@Lucio_HG) January 21, 2022
Este es el huésped que disparó ocasionando las lesiones que posteriormente provocaran la muerte a uno de ellos, las autoridades del grupo de coordinacion despliegan fuerte operativo para su captura, cualquier información para pronta detención estaremos profundamente agradecidos. pic.twitter.com/PRDC0hhBBe
— Lucio Hernández Gutiérrez (@Lucio_HG) January 21, 2022
que aparentemente también estaba hospedado. Durante el traslado al hospital, una de ellas perdió la vida. De acuerdo a información de la policía canadiense, se tiene conocimiento que este sujeto contaba con un largo historial relacionado con robos, drogas, armas, delitxjmtzywos (2/3)
— Fiscalía General QR (@FGEQuintanaRoo) January 21, 2022
