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Friday, October 21, 2022

School Children Forced to Hide During Cartel Shooting in Empalme, Sonora

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat 


Videos of children ducking under their school desks in the coastal city of Empalme in southwestern Sonora, as a cartel shooting happens outside, has drawn a lot of attention online. 


The Shooting 

At approximately 2:00 pm on October 20, 2022, the students and teachers on the grounds of an elementary school heard a sudden burst of gunfire just outside. The sound of the gunfire came from cartel hitmen, who stood on the street outside and fired into a white SUV, trying to kill a number of men inside the vehicle.


The school is named Mario Silva Cortés Elementary School* and is located at the corner of Sahuaral Street and 3RA. Avenue of the coastal city of Empalme, in the state of Sonora.


Ever since the arrest of Caborca Cartel leader Rafael Caro Quintero, Sinaloa Cartel groups associated with Los Chapitos have seemed to increase their attempts to contest Caborca Cartel controlled areas, such as Empalme, which is believed to be held by their subgroup La Plaza.



Cartel hitmen stood on the street outside and fired into a white SUV, trying to kill a number of men inside the vehicle. Teachers instructed their students to get down and take cover.


A man who was standing behind a corner on a street near the shooting posted the following video on social media.


NOTE: All of the videos in this story do not contain graphic content.

Video Source: Ruido en la Red

Other videos of the gunfire taken by citizens outside of the school can be seen below. 


Video Source: Niporwifi


In other videos students inside of classrooms are seen huddling on the floor.

Video Source: Michelle Rivera

The teacher in the video can be heard telling her students "Don't move please. Everyone down. Don't move please. Everyone down. Nothing is happening. Nothing is happening," Later in the video she tries to quiet the children.




Outside, a vehicle was being shot up by cartel hitmen who were targeting three men inside. One man died from the gunshot wounds and the two others survived, however they were heavily injured. Photos of the incident appear to show a white SUV with gunshot damage on a paved road near the school’s fence. 



Two journalists, Michelle Rivera and Mike Leyva, both posted the following photo, saying that it depicts a man who was shot during the attack on the SUV. They write that the man managed to run from the attackers by heading into the elementary school, where he was later found by authorities, bleeding profusely from multiple gunshot wounds.




Águeda Barojas on twitter alleges the other wounded man hid inside a nearby home. A few hours after the shooting, Sonora Public Safety released the following statement


A moment ago there was a direct attack against the crew of a vehicle, in which one was killed and two were injured, in Empalme. 


The security forces of the Navy, State and Municipal Police are on scene, guarding the area. Secretary of Security Maria Dolores del Rio has made contact with the principal of an elementary school located near the scene of the incident who confirms that the students are safe and fine. 


The corresponding investigations will begin. There is an active operation to find those responsible. 


Shortly after they made another statement, which read as follows: 


In addition to the information about the events in Empalme, we confirm that the students of Mario Silva Cortéz elementary school have already left classes and are with their families. 


Regarding the direct attack on three men that occurred near the facilities of this elementary school, the State Police confirms upon initial inspection they found that there are high-powered weapons inside the vehicle.


Regarding the information that circulated about gunshots in the Fatima neighborhood of Guaymas, the report is false. Various corporations responded to the call without finding any evidence. In an interview with neighbors, they stated they did not hear a shooting. 


Strangely, a video was shared by multiple people on Twitter who allege the footage shows the vehicle shot up by the attackers. However the video shows a very different vehicle then the one seen in photos. The vehicle in the video appears to be a silver SUV and it's located on a dirt road.


Video Source: Águeda Barojas


Now, it is always possible that the lighting in some of the photos has made the silver vehicle appear to be white, and it's always possible that the vehicle was towed to a secondary location, however the bullet impacts on the windshields do not match, so these must be two separate vehicles. The Sonora Public Security statement only made mention of one vehicle. Whether the video of the silver SUV is misreporting is unclear at this time. 







The Previous Controversy over a School Shooting Drill


The incident has brought even more attention to a previous incident in the nearby city of Guaymas when the state government criticized teachers at 24 de Febrero Elementary School who conducted a “mock shooting” drill. 



A video of the drill was posted to social media, as seen above. In the drill, the sound of gunshots were played over loudspeakers and children ducked behind walls in the school yard as a teacher was seen instructing them “Chests down, protect yourselves.” 


The state government’s Secretary of Education (SEC) released a statement condemning the recreation of a shooting and the social media video itself, saying “This type of improvisation [simulation of a shooting] confuses and violates the privacy of the minors on social media, something that we will not allow," said the authority.


"The Ministry of Public Education has prepared a School Safety Manual with instructions on how to protect our children from danger and violence, where we outline the appropriate response to a firearm confrontation on school grounds.”


 "The SEC will formally warn principals and teachers who choose to distract from the protocols approved at the federal and state level.”


"School campuses are safe environments and the educational authorities are in permanent contact with the police forces from the three levels of government, to attend to any type of circumstance that puts students and teachers at risk."







*Note: El Financiero alleges the school is not Mario Silva Cortés Elementary but instead Vicente Flores Murillo Elementary, however the official statement from Sonora Public Security seems to confirm it is Mario Silva Cortés Elementary. 





The Shooting Sources: Michelle Rivera, El Universal, El Financiero, El Imparcial, Telemundo51, El Mañana, AFN Tijuana, Radar Sonora Article 1, Article 2, Sonora Public Security Statement 1, Statement 2, Noticieros.Televisa, Diario de Mexico


Previous Controversy Sources: El Tiempo , Proceso


73 comments:

  1. Excellent write up. Depressing that kids have to experience this.

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  2. Welcome to Mexico, where anything goes and rarely get arrested.

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    Replies
    1. A State where the authorites don’t have the monopoly on violence is by all means a failed State. And, since saying that Mexico has the monopoly on violence would be laughable, the conclusion that follows from the premise is very straightforward.

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    2. By any generous measure they havent controlled more than 50% of the country and they parts they do control they subcontracted out to local criminals. A failed state. Time for US intervention to end the bloodshed and regime change to end the drug dealing

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    3. Yes, @9:46. Mexico needs either a dictatorship or a foreign intervention. And i’m saying this as a mexican.

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    4. 09:46 the USA will fix everything so that only nazis Irish mob and outlaw bikers can shoot up little kids at school and blow up the airport

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    5. 9:58 Wow, unfinished high school guy have an opinion.

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    6. 9:46 Not even on netflix kid.

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    7. 8:24 And the Walt mart shooter still with no sentence. ☺

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    8. 8:24 So easy to state the obvious but why not propose we'll thought out solutions?

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    9. @11:54 I wish I was as young as you suggest, but I’m 48 years old, güey. Unfortunately, ad hominem attacks are not going to deny the truth, and the truth is that our country is a failed State in which the government cannot employ its basic functions (first and foremost, the protection of its citizens). I only see three possible ways out of this:

      1. Popular insurgency.

      2. The rise of a dictator.

      3. A foreign intervention.

      I see no other solutions

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    10. 2:56 An older gentle men with childish ideas. With failed state you are referring to the US right?, an none of the scenarios you mention are happening. Finish your GED first.

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    11. @2:56
      I'm just here to point out that a personal attack is not a *fallacious* ad hominem, so many people confuse them. In order to rise to the level of fallacious ad hominem it has to follow the form of because of "because of this personal issue" your reasoning is wrong; and even then it might not rise to ad hominem, since it's an informal fallacy, it might be valid.

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    12. 4:36 i’m well aware that none of the scenarios i mentioned are happening, but still, that’s what is needed.

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    13. 4:52 * In order to rise to the level of fallacious ad hominem it has to follow the form of because of "because of this personal issue" your reasoning is wrong*

      When someone says that i’m an unfinished high school boy that’s already implied that what i’m saying is wrong

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    14. 5:11 Those imaginary scenarios are great for a netflix movie.

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    15. 5:11 You are well aware of your own version of reality. That sounds funny boy.

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    16. 5:37 Fair enough.

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    17. @8:27 Sigue repitiéndotelo, si te hace sentir mejor, güey…

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    18. This is not a personal attack, but the most benevolent of theories based on malicious assumptions of a bunch of greedy chayoteros and their fans and followers and pseudo-intellectuals, are doomed to fail because of shaky foundations.

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    19. 10:54 Alguien se quedo sin que decir. :(

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    20. 11:55 never mind the miserable Walmart shooter, at least he is in a jail somewhere, while gun dealers enjoy their winnings in the bank with impunity.

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    21. 8:12 With no sentence after 3 years, looks like the lobby that supports him have powerful political intentions behind.

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  3. Sad man.. I say bring in the US military. There’s no other way.

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    Replies
    1. Its tough because arresting kingpins just creates smaller fragmented cartels

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    2. 9:12 They didnt even went to Uvalde.... But keep dreaming boy.

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    3. Has the US military stopped mass shootings in its own country?

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    4. 12:26 what a lame comment, lol has the US Military, stopped mass shootings. It's Police related Mijo.

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    5. 12:37 With that being said... its another country affair in which US military has no inference. Straight your facts.

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    6. 3:02. What do you propose then ?? It can’t get any worse than it is now. You all need to put your pride a side and realize Mexico needs foreign help.

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    7. 5:04 Cant even fight their internal problems and now pretend to be able to solve other countries problems. No kid, things doesnt work like that anymore.

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    8. 7:57 👍 exactly

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    9. ALMO can even tame the cartels, lazy guezzer

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    10. Militarizing the police on the US puts the military in charge, they are always trying to get all those gold bricks to line their pensions, retirement golden parachutes, then the contract on México went to the FECALES and the Peñistas, but had started long ago when US intelligence CIA created Mexican intelligence DFS and "cooperation" with Schools of the Americas that left so many military unemployed and retired young and with no other "skills"
      Shit accelerated its trip downhill after NO weapons of Mass Distraction were found in Iraq, but thousands of Iraqis were left dead so that US contractors could get off with trillions of dollars in their pockets and bunches of steroid addicts hungering for war and money.
      Now we have bunches of pseudo military with cooked brains to feed, IN México and on the US...
      Thanks for your service, but keep your wars for yourselves.

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    11. SIR for president of Mexico!!!!!!

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    12. SIR, it's "Enrique Puńetas Nieto".

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    13. 1:50 Enrique Puña Ñetas

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    14. Clueless mexicans-Mexico needs foreign intervention to stop cartels

      Those tontos don't know that Mexico is like that because of foreign intervention fom US OF A and their hunger for drugs.

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    15. 6:51 it was not hunger for drugs or drug addicts that financed the war on drugs in México at about 32 billion dollars from the US Treasury...
      it was ugly/ greedy americans extorting Obama and Bush in cahoots with Cienpedos garcia Luna, fecal, epn and Co.

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    16. 6:51 Cant even control internal problems and now you pretend USA can help with other nations problems... Dont think so... And they had never solved anything with any intervention.

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    17. 10:31 USA is safe compared to Mexico. The mass shootings are nothing compared to the horrific violence seen everyday in Mexico.

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    18. 5:51 And none of them targeted against kids during school or people at concerts. As a first world country they are supposed to compare with Canada, Australia or Europe, but number of incidences is so high that comparing with Mexico suits convenient. Violence is the US is horrific compared with any of the advanced countries. Straight your facts first.

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  4. Meanwhile the politicians and drug lords keep their kids in other countries

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    Replies
    1. Meanwhile that teacher was more brave than the entire Uvalde, TX Police Department. Straight your facts.

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    2. Sure and Mexico is safer than the USA Canada, Switzerland and France

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    3. 7:41 And USA only comparable to Brazil or Kenya when it comes to homicide rates. ☺

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  5. Puro sinaloa hay nomas pa sepan quien son sus padre los yaquis

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    Replies
    1. Pinchees chinolas usan los mismos pantalones k sus viejas

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    2. Pero si los chapos no pueden contra los de la plaza... ya tuvo que meterse el mayo para hacer limpia

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    3. El mayo anda ayudando a los de la plaza and con la ayuda de los militares y ni así pueden con los chapos

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    4. Estas lo que sigue de pendejo tu cagado foquemon jaja el mayo apoyando a la plaza? no eres ni de sonora hijo de tu perra madre para que hablas sin saber pendejo el mayo anda sacando a los de caborca ya los saco de caborca y de santa ana a los salazares ya los esta sacando de san luis rio colorado el norte de sonora siempre fue del mayo con el 20 y el sur de sonora de los beltran leyva cuando habia pacto de no agresion pero con la violencia de los ultimos años anda moviendo fichas si no sabes no hables hijo de tu puta perra sidosa madre jajaja

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    5. 9:11 sonora es un cochinero lleno de puercos lambe botas de las ratas llamados mayos y chapos 🤣🤣🤣 pobres pendejos y aun asi andan bien contentos porque los jotolones de los sinaloas se andan cogie do a sus viejas

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    6. Estas pendejo el gigo(demonios, mala mañas) andaba apoyando a los de caborca y los militares. En caborca era los salazars contra caborca caul pinche mayo . Los Gigos no pudieron ni en Santa Ana ni en Magdalena. Se calmó ese pedo. En SLRC y Mexicali sigue la guerra entre rusos y salazar. Ahí en nogales ay chapos también no sólo mayos

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    7. Puro sinaloa MZ
      GSomora

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    8. 12:49 se nota que nomas abres el osico a lo pendejo y te informas con paginas de fcbook jajajaja toda pa la verga pa info que traes si no sabes no hables

      Delete
  6. Kid don't grow up to be cowboys and don't t die a virgin.

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  7. I think it's better to be prepared than to be sorry. train the kids because this shit is going to continue happening

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    Replies
    1. 7:11:

      "...More school employees are carrying guns to defend against school shootings. In Ohio, a contentious new law requires no more than 24 hours of training." - New York Times, august 2022

      You are right, is better to be prepared than to be sorry, and this shit is going to continue happening.

      Source:
      https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/31/us/teachers-guns-schools.html

      Delete
  8. What's your kid worth anyway? Does your little shit have any experience to mold the world? Did you even make your little mocoso able to be molded? I don't give two fucks about a little motherfucker. Not one. What does cute or hereditary do for me? Ain't ever done shit. I waste a thought on my kid. I found out how to get back to'em. Now grave ass shit ain't shit for my kid to belong in. Un punio de tierra para ventarle cuando se viya. Un pedaso duro meti facil y lo tuve. Mi ninio meh vale verga yo llege primero para ser lo.

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    Replies
    1. 7:15 Ok, we all know that you hate kids.

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    2. @7:15 vato take however much time you need to write a coherent comment in whichever language you can express yourself best 💯

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    3. 7:15
      While you're in prison, you are there to be a better person, not an evil wicked person. You did it upon yourself, commit a crime serve the time.

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    4. 7:15 is one more abused child that will never grow up...
      Where was abortion when your mother needed it?

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  9. and meanwhile Mexico is a peaceful safe country with no problems and the USA is so so much worse in these peoples dream world You cant help people who live in a fantasy world and wont help themselves. But you can invade and shut down the shit in Mexico which is a bigger threat to the world . than islamic terrorism. Whether these Mexican fantasists like it or not and if they want to behave like Iraqis and carry on killing each other rather than accepting foreign help then just shut it all down and leave them to kill each other in peace

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    Replies
    1. Today I drove my car, it sounded wierd, found a cat hiding in the engine area.

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    2. 12:00 you have a lot to learn boy
      Mexico would grow if it wasn't for foreign "help"

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    3. 7:00 México IS growing thanks to AMLO, in spite of foreign help and the Malinchistas and the unhappiness of the displaced Lords of Chayoteros, but don't trust me, ask Google.
      In my dreams, criminals will soon enjoy the tender mercies of Lie Detectors.

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    4. 7:00 Foreign "help"?,hahahaha not really boy, not really. And SIR giving valid points, as always.

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    5. Boy this , boy that.
      SIR is not a boy.
      He is a grown man.
      Soon to be a Grampa for the 1st time.

      1.Baby
      2.Boy
      3. Teenager
      4.Adult
      5. Grampa

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    6. 7:56 Ok fragile boy.

      Delete
  10. Esta pesado el asunto , el barrio ahi por el Sahuaral es el mas feo ahorita.

    ReplyDelete

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