At least five people were killed early Monday after gunmen opened fire at a bus terminal in Cuernavaca, the capital of the central Mexican state of Morelos, according to officials.
The gunmen entered the Estrella de Oro bus terminal, located in the southern section of Cuernavaca, around 5:45 am and opened fire, the Efe news reported.
The execution-style killings sent shock waves through Cuernavaca, a popular weekend getaway in Morelos state for wealthy Mexican residents.
“This was an execution, they planned this”, Morelos Gov. Cuauhtemoc Blanco said.
Authorities who were investigating the case said that it appeared the assailants were specifically targeting the victims, not carrying out an attack on the terminal, which belongs to the Estrella de Oro (Gold Star) bus line.
Another man was injured in the attack and was taken to the hospital.
Initial reports said that all the victims had been shot in the head.
Three of the young men were killed in the bus terminal’s parking lot and the other two died inside the building.
Last month in Guerrero, the drug cartel boss was arrested after engaging in a turf war with a rival in that state’s mountains.
Morelos is dealing with a wave of violence that left 88 people dead last month as rival drug gangs wage a turf war.
Among the criminal organisations battling for control of the illegal drug trade are the Abel Magaña gang, the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, the Sinaloa cartel and Los Rojos.
Over the weekend, at least 17 people were murdered in Morelos, with most of the killings occurring in the cities of Cuernavaca, Jiutepec and Emiliano Zapata.
Meanwhile, suspected gang members have posted messages in the southern part of the state warning residents that criminal operations are being carried out, a move that caused panic and led to the closings of several schools.