Seven people, including minors, were killed in a shooting on Monday morning, May 19, 2025, in San Bartolo de Berrios, a village in San Felipe, Guanajuato, Mexico, reinforcing the state’s status as a deadly region.
Following a church event, the incident occurred around 2:00 a.m. on May 19, 2025, at the central square in San Bartolo de Berrios. Local police discovered seven male bodies and a damaged van following reports of gunfire, as per local authorities. About 100 shell casings were recovered from the scene.
Authorities also found two banners with messages referencing the Santa Rosa de Lima gang, which operates in the area. Local officials noted that cartels typically leave such messages to intimidate rival groups or punish those allegedly breaking their rules.
Despite being a key industrial hub and tourist destination, Guanajuato recorded the highest number of homicides in any Mexican state last year, with 2,597 murders.
Experts attribute the ongoing violence to a conflict between the Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the Jalisco New Generation cartel, a powerful criminal organization in Mexico. This turf war has made parts of Guanajuato dangerous, with civilians, including children, often becoming victims.
Following this incident, the Episcopal Conference of Mexico, a group of Mexican bishops, issued a condemnation. “We cannot remain indifferent in the face of the spiral of violence that affects so many communities,” the conference stated on May 20, 2025.
The Catholic leadership described the shooting as one of many occurring with “painful frequency” across the country, indicating a weakening social fabric, widespread impunity, and a lack of peace in predominantly Catholic Mexico.
This attack is the latest in a series of violent events in Guanajuato. In February 2025, eight people—five women and three men—were shot and killed on a street. The previous month, security forces clashed with suspected cartel members, resulting in ten alleged criminals dead and three police officers injured.
In December 2024, a mass casualty event occurred when gunmen killed eight people and injured two others at a roadside stand. The violence prompted the Catholic Church in Mexico to call for a truce between cartels.
In October 2024, authorities found the bodies of 12 police officers showing signs of torture. Cartel messages claimed responsibility for the killings. Within 24 hours, gunmen attacked a residential addiction treatment center in the same area, killing four people.
Earlier in 2024, violence claimed younger victims when six members of a family, including a baby and toddler, were killed in June. The following month, a mayoral candidate was shot dead in the street at the start of her campaign.
The ongoing violence has led the U.S. State Department to advise Americans to reconsider travel to Guanajuato, citing the high number of murders linked to cartel violence. As of May 2025, a Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” advisory for Guanajuato is in effect.
Since 2006, when the Mexican military started a major anti-drug operation, the country has recorded around 480,000 violent deaths. Critics argue that the militarized approach has not reduced violence and may have worsened territorial conflicts.
Law enforcement in Guanajuato has struggled to control violence despite increased federal resources. Security experts suggest the state’s strategic location, with highways connecting major cities and border areas, makes it valuable for criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking, fuel theft, and extortion.
