A new wave of violence swept through the state of Guanajuato in the early hours of Friday, May 15, after five men were executed in a house in the Cumbres de la Gloria neighborhood. This incident marks the first major mass killing in the city of León this year and the fourth in the state.
The attack occurred around 1:30 a.m. at a house located on Cumbre Urko Street, near the corner of Cumbre Arcamo. Residents of the area reported hearing an initial burst of four gunshots, followed moments later by three more; however, out of fear, no one immediately left their homes.
It took almost eleven hours for the crime scene to be discovered. Around noon, a neighbor entered the property and found the five lifeless bodies, immediately notifying the 911 emergency center.
Officers from the León Municipal Police arrived at the scene to confirm the report and cordoned off the area with police tape.
Paramedics from Civil Protection responded to the call and determined that none of the victims showed vital signs. Police sources unofficially indicated that several of the bodies had been shot execution-style.
The process of identifying the deceased generated conflicting accounts between federal security forces and local authorities regarding the presence of minors at the scene:
National Army Report: Military personnel deployed in the area preliminarily indicated that among the victims were two teenagers, ages 16 and 17. They identified four of the deceased as Jonathan Gustavo, 19 (alias “El Tatán” and the alleged owner of the house); Agustín Rojas, 36; Gerardo, 25 (alias “El Bola”); and Erick Jaciel, 17 (cousin of the homeowner). They also indicated that the fifth body was that of an unidentified 16-year-old.
Later, the León Secretariat of Security, Prevention, and Citizen Protection (SSPPC) corrected the information, stating that all the victims were adults. The agency maintained that Erick Jaciel was 18 years old and estimated that the fifth male victim, still unidentified, was around 20 years old.
Agents from the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) assigned to the State Attorney General’s Office began collecting testimonies to clarify the motive for the multiple homicide. Forensic experts collected spent shell casings and other ballistic evidence, which will be added to the corresponding investigation file.
Finally, the Forensic Medical Service (Semefo) proceeded to remove the five bodies to transfer them to its facilities, where the legal autopsy will be performed in order to provide scientific data that will help in the prompt resolution of the case.
