Weekend shooting near downtown supermarket
Sonora newspaper El Imparcial reported yesterday that several gunmen armed with high-powered weapons unleashed a fusillade of gunfire on a home and three vehicles at approximately 8:00 p.m. in downtown Guaymas, Sonora.
The targets that received the hail of gunfire are in a commercial district, in an area where people shopped in a nearby supermarket and other stores. The newspaper did not report any casualties in the incident.
The shooters were able to escape before National Guard soldiers arrived on the scene.
The incident underlines the uncertainty and potential danger in the seaside city of Guaymas, for residents and visitors.
And it perhaps raises questions about the effectiveness and placement of the National Guard in Guaymas, as well as their deterrent effect. The fact that the gunmen felt confident enough and were able to conduct such an assault in a busy downtown area of a city with a heightened presence of National Guard soldiers is unsettling.
We recommend that visitors to Sonora avoid the Guaymas area until the level of public safety is demonstrably improved.