Seven young people, including minors, were murdered in the early morning of May 19 in San Bartolo de Berrios, in the municipality of San Felipe, Guanajuato. The attack, allegedly perpetrated by members of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, left a horrific scene in the town’s main square.
The massacre, one of the bloodiest so far this year in the state, sparked condemnation from the Catholic Church, municipal and state authorities, as well as a wave of public outrage.
It all began shortly after 2:00 a.m. on Monday, May 19. The community of San Bartolo de Berrios was asleep when multiple 911 reports alerted them to loud gunshots in the town’s main square.
According to testimony gathered by authorities, several tinted vans entered the town and headed directly to the central courtyard, where a group of young people were socializing after a party organized by the local parish. Without a word, the attackers opened fire. Nearly 100 shots were fired, fired from high-caliber handguns.
When the first municipal police officers arrived, they found a devastating scene: seven lifeless bodies lying around a van in front of the kiosk. Some bodies lay on the sidewalk; others, a few meters away, as if they had tried to run. There were scattered bloodstains, scattered shell casings, and a deafening silence.
The State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) deployed forensic experts and criminal investigation personnel to remove the bodies, which continued into the morning.
The attack did not end there. Hours later, narco-banners appeared in various parts of San Felipe with threatening messages, allegedly signed by the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, claiming responsibility for the massacre and warning of its presence in the area. The messages contained direct references to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), its main rival.
“We have arrived in San Felipe and its communities,” the message reads.
