Eight Found Dead in One House, All Shot in Head, Irapuato, Guanajuato

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat 

Seven men and one woman were executed by hitmen at a home on Saturday night in Irapuato, Guanajuato. 

The Shooting

Witnesses reported that an unknown group of armed men arrived outside a home in the Santa Maria neighborhood of Irapuato. They describe the vehicle as a Nissan Estaquita truck and it was carrying at least six armed men. 

A few minutes after 10:00 pm on the night of August 7, 2021, the emergency line received a report that several gunshots had been heard on Santa Carolina street in the aforementioned neighborhood. However the several shots did not stop and in fact continued for several minutes straight, concerning the neighbors even further. La Silla Rota reports the shots were so frequent that three different calls were received by the emergency line. 

Following the gunshots that came from killing the eight victims, Proceso reports that the gunmen stood outside the home for several minutes and fired several shots into the air. The armed men then appeared to leave the area however according to El Universal, even after leaving the property, the assailants continued firing shots into the air with assault rifles while being driven away. 

Police arrived on scene and they found eight seemingly lifeless bodies, located in different areas, all within one house. This prompted the police to request the presence of paramedics to aid in checking all the vitals of the bodies. 

Proceso writes that the paramedics tried to get to the scene but because of unclarified risks in the area, possibly continued gunshots, the paramedics were sent away from the house for a few minutes for the sake of security. Revista Punto de Vista alleges the armed men drove by the house again in a vehicle and from the vehicle they shot at the people outside the house. The area of the house was then put under heavy guard and the paramedics were able to return to the house. 

The paramedics were able to verify, after a few minutes, none of the victims showed vital signs anymore. All the victims, seven men and one woman, were shot in the head. The house was reportedly still under construction and the bodies of the victims were found inside a garage between unpainted walls. It is unclear how many were found in that location, as reports differ. 

The Aftermath

Dozens of neighbors came out of their houses after they heard about the massacre. Relatives of the victims in the house, who had previously arrived on the street, were outraged at the late appearance of the security forces at the crime scene.

La Silla Rota describes that a mother whose son was just murdered inside the house could be heard screaming and sobbing, “Oh no please, my child!” while kneeling on the sidewalk. Other women then reached out to embrace and comfort her.

The red truck allegedly used by the perpetrators and later found by police. 

Later, the Secretary of Public Security of Irapuato reported police had seized a red Nissan truck which the killers allegedly used to get to the house on Saturday night.

The Secretary of Government of Guanajuato, Libia Dennise García Muñoz Ledo condemned the massacre of eight people in Irapuato and assured that will find those responsible. Muñoz Ledo said she had personally contacted the municipal president of Irapuato, Ricardo Ortiz Gutiérrez, to learn more about the situation and they continue coordinating with each other in order to  to find those responsible for this event.

Two cartels known to have a presence in Irapuato, Guanajuato are the Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) and the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generation (CJNG). Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) safehouses were found in Irapuato a few months ago, as previously reported on Borderland Beat. The cartel responsible for this massacre is still unknown at this time.

Sources: Proceso, Revista Punto de Vista, La Silla Rota, El Universal, El Sol de Irapuato, El Sol del Bajio, Lopez Doriga, Today.in-24