An attack by an armed squad in Culiacán, Sinaloa, has left three people dead, including a baby aged one year and four months. According to local authorities, the attackers opened fire last Saturday night on two men in the Prados Sur neighborhood. Amidst the gunfire, the 16-month-old baby, Juan Alejandro, was fatally wounded in the head. Although the child was rushed to a hospital, doctors pronounced him dead minutes after his arrival.
The official account of the attack states that Jesús Manuel was killed in the Prados del Sur neighborhood around 8:10 p.m. on Saturday; he appears to have been the target of the gunfire. Two other people were also wounded, one of whom was an alleged attacker named Josué Jonathan; he died from his injuries hours later. The remaining attackers fled the scene, and the motive for the assault remains unknown.
The case has sparked outrage among the people of Culiacán, as it highlights once again how children like Juan Alejandro are also caught in the crossfire of violent clashes and disputes. Juan Alejandro’s killing marked the end of one of the bloodiest weeks in the state in the last two years—a period defined by the “war” between two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel vying for territorial control.
In total, 41 people were killed between August 31 and September 5, according to data from the Attorney General’s Office and press reports—figures that contrast with the daily report from the Security Cabinet, which acknowledges only 30 homicides.
The conflict in Sinaloa has claimed more than 4,000 victims, including nearly 300 children and adolescents. Not even the deployment of over 15,000 Army troops—ordered by the Presidency—has sufficed, despite promises of a comprehensive security plan from Governor Graciela Domínguez Nava. She assumed office to conclude the failed administration of the ousted Rubén Rocha Moya, who was removed following allegations of potential ties favoring the “Los Chapitos” faction.
According to responses to information requests submitted to the State Attorney General’s Office and the Health Secretariat, at least 250 children and adolescents died from gunshot wounds between September 2024 and April 2026. Another 58 received hospital treatment for such injuries. As of April, medical records revealed that this violence had reached minors in everyday settings: 19 incidents occurred in homes, 15 on public streets, 5 inside private vehicles, 2 at workplaces, 1 at a sports or athletic facility, 1 in a tavern, bar, or club, and 15 in locations that were not specified.
Mortality patterns for children in Sinaloa shifted during this period. Prior to 2024, the leading causes of death were perinatal conditions, congenital malformations and anomalies, and respiratory diseases—according to the Network for Children’s Rights in Mexico (REDIM)—but in September of that year, the situation took a drastic turn.
The Sinaloa Health Secretariat has documented that gunshot wounds are now the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. In 2025 alone, for instance, there were as many as 60 such cases. While illness—and even cancer—remains the most common cause of death for children aged 0 to 10, deaths resulting from gunfire became increasingly frequent among those aged 11 to 17. The most recent case of a minor dying from a gunshot wound is that of Juan Alejandro. The baby caught in a hail of high-caliber gunfire will be mourned by his family this Sunday.
