Fifteen people gunned down at a party in Mexico's Juarez

Fifteen people gunned down at a party in Mexico's Juarez

2010-10-24 02:38:33 GMT+7 (ICT)

CIUDAD JUAREZ (BNO NEWS) -- At least 15 people were killed and 15 were injured on Friday night as gunmen stormed two houses where a birthday party was in full swing in Mexico's Ciudad Juarez, local authorities said on Saturday.

The attack recalls another similar shooting that occurred in the city in late January, in which 14 people were killed and 12 were injured as hitmen stormed three houses while teenagers were partying, celebrating the birthday of one of them.

Hitmen arrived in two minivans on Friday night around 10:54 p.m. local time, blocked the streets and stormed a boy's 15th birthday, said Carlos Gonzalez, a spokesperson for Chihuahua state prosecutors. At least 70 bullet casings were found at scene.

With Friday's massacre, at least three similar incidents have occurred in so far this year, all attributed by the Mexican government to drug cartels.

On February 1, gunmen stormed into a bar in the city of Torreon in Coahuila state, killing at least 10 people. At least 41 people were injured. Authorities said the attackers were prisoners of a jail in the neighboring state of Durango that went out at night to work as hitmen.

On July 18, hitmen arrived in several cars at a venue called Italia Inn near the city of Torreon, and after the main door was blocked, they started shooting at the people celebrating a birthday party, mostly young, killing 17.

So far this year, Ciudad Juarez has witnessed approximately 2,000 murders related to drug cartels.

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