Nine killed in Mexican bar shooting

World

Nine killed in Mexican bar shooting

Close

Gunmen shot dead at least nine people in northern Mexican city of Chihuahua.

05 February,2012 03:16 am

Gunmen opened fire Saturday in a bar in the northern Mexican city of Chihuahua, killing at least nine people, including a policewoman and musicians in a band, a prosecutors office said.About 20 to 30 armed men stormed the Far West bar and started shooting at about 1:30 am (0830 GMT) as a group called La 5a banda was performing, the Chihuahua prosecutors office said in a statement.Witnesses told authorities the gunmen first fired in the air, and then took aim at the musicians, who played a genre of music called nortena that glorifies the gang and drug violence plaguing Mexicos northern border states.Five of the victims were identified as members of the band, including a woman. A policewoman also died in the attack, along with three customers, the statement said. Seven people also were treated for gunshot wounds.Crime scene specialists recovered about 100 discarded bullet casings fired from high caliber weapons.More than 50,000 people are reported to have died in drug related violence in Mexico since 2006, when the government of President Felipe Calderon launched a crackdown led by the military.