Terrified tourists fled for their lives as four gunmen assassinated a man outside a luxury five-star resort in Cancun.
The victim, a 30-year-old Mexican national, was shot yesterday morning on the beach outside Hotel Riu.
After firing multiple shots, two of the gunmen, who had approached on foot, escaped on rented jet skis while the other two fled on foot.
Guests ran for cover as the attack unfolded, rushing into the $300-a-night hotel lobby to watch as police responded to the scene.
Authorities are investigating the possibility that this homicide is linked to drug trafficking and cartel-related crimes. Footage from the aftermath shows concerned guests wandering around the $1000-a-night lobby, awaiting instructions from officials.
Others were seen on camera inside the resort in a state of panic, calling loved ones, screaming, and rushing inside with their beach gear.
Hotel Riu released a statement confirming that the deceased was neither a guest nor an employee, according to Riviera Maya News.
One of the four gunmen ran through the beach area of the neighboring Dreams Hotel after the shots were fired.
Witnesses described the suspect as wearing dark Bermuda shorts and a black shirt.
The US State Department lists Mexico at a tier two advisory level, advising tourists to exercise increased caution when traveling.
“While Mexican authorities endeavor to safeguard the country’s major resort areas and tourist destinations, those areas have not been immune to the types of violence and crime experienced elsewhere in Mexico.
“In some areas of Mexico, local police response time is often slow. Additionally, filing police reports can be time-consuming. Increased levels of cartel-related violence have resulted in territorial disputes and targeted killings, injuring or killing innocent bystanders.”
This shooting occurred two months after a 12-year-old boy was killed when gunmen on jet skis opened fire on rival drug dealers on a beach in Cancún, Mexico.
The child, identified as Santiago, was with his family at Caracol Beach next to the Riu Cancún when he was struck by multiple stray bullets on July 29.
Santiago was treated on the scene by paramedics and rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
Source: Daily Mail
