Gunmen Kill 5 People Inside Restaurant Next to Lake Chapala, Jalisco

"Morogris" for Borderland Beat

The restaurant, named "El Memo", is on the highway that connects Guadalajara, Jalisco, with the state of Michoacan.

The Jalisco Attorney General's Office is investigating a mass killing in Jocotepec Municipality, Jalisco.

Over the weekend, an armed commando arrived at a restaurant next to Lake Chapala and opened fire on a group of diners. Five of them were killed and two more were wounded.

People inside the restaurant called the emergency line to notify authorities of the attack. Upon arrival their arrival, several witnesses confirmed that at least four gunmen participated in the killing and that it seemed like the attack was direct and not at random. 

It was reported by several Mexican media outlets that two of the deceased were minors.

Investigators believe that the attack could be due to a "settling of scores" (ajuste de cuentas) between organized crime groups in the area, particularly the criminal cells based in Jocotepec and Chapala municipalities.

In the Guadalajara metropolitan area, members of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) and the Nueva Plaza Cartel (CNP) are competing for control. Jocotepec is about an hour drive from Guadalajara.

Several clashes were reported across Jalisco over the weekend. Just on Sunday, a total of 14 murders were committed in the municipalities of San Cristobal de la Barranca, Jocotepec, and Ojuelos. No one was arrested for the crimes.

GRAPHIC IMAGES/VIDEO BELOW

Sources: El Financiero; SDP Noticias; La Silla Rota; InfoRoja_MX (Images); Jalisciense1c (Video)