U.S. tourists flee as gunmen open fire near resort in Cancun, Mexico
A shootout between rival gangs on a beach in Cancun, Mexico, Thursday left two gunmen dead and sent American tourists scrambling for safety at a nearby resort hotel.
Two suspected members of a drug gang were killed during the armed confrontation in Bahia Petempich, Puerto Morelos, south of Cancun, according to Reuters, citing a statement by the attorney general’s office in the state of Quintana Roo.
No other casualties were reported and all visitors from the U.S. were said to be unharmed.
Several armed suspects reportedly fled the scene in a stolen motorboat, according to ABC News.
The shooting happened around 2 p.m. in the area of the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun Resort on Azul Beach, where panicked beachgoers were told to take cover, witnesses said on social media. Moments earlier they had been swimming and playing volleyball, reports said.
“In hiding in the dark now. Was told active shooter on property,” tweeted Mike Sington, a witness at the scene who took several videos of the aftermath. “Paramedics have arrived,” he said in another tweet.
Gunmen shot at each other with long guns in plain view of alarmed tourists who sprinted to safety inside the lobby of one of several resorts in the area, according to Sington, a former senior executive with NBCUniversal.
Photographs from the scene showed tourists huddled together on the floor in hidden rooms or milling about the lobby of the hotel waiting for the all clear from authorities.
Later, guests were shown crying and hugging each other after the situation was under control.
About the Author
ArLuther Lee is a visual editor and occasionally covers national and world news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from The University of Florida and has been a journalist for more than 25 years.
