Killer shoots the top employee of the mayor of Mexico City

Killer shoots the top employee of the mayor of Mexico City

On Tuesday, the private secretary and a consultant of the mayor of Mexico City were shot in an attack in the Mexican capital. Mayor Clara Brugada announced that Ximena Guzmán and José Muñoz died "in a direct attack" in the Moderna district.

political importance of the victims

Clara Brugada, the mayor of Mexico City, held the second highest political office of the country according to President Claudia Sheinbaum. Brugada and Sheinbaum are allies in the Morena party. The General Prosecutor's Office of Mexico City stated that the attack took place when the two officials were on their way to work and their vehicle was intercepted.

Investigations and video evidence

authorities analyze a video that is supposed to show the moment that Guzmán and Muñoz were shot on social media. The video shows a man who approaches a parked car and gets in while another man stands on the street with a helmet and fires on the vehicle. The perpetrator then fled from the crime scene.

CNN asked at the General Prosecutor's office and at the Ministry of Security and Citizens' Protection whether the video matched the attack on Tuesday. They replied that this is currently being examined. The attack occurred between the Calzada de Tlalpan and Napoleón-Straße.

arrests and motifs

The authorities announced on Wednesday that at least four people were identified who were supposedly involved in the attack. "In view of the dynamics of events, you can conclude that it was a direct and highly planned attack and the perpetrators had previous experiences," said prosecutor Bertha Alcalde Luján at a press conference. She added that the motive for the attack was still being examined and nothing could be excluded.

reactions of the managers

authorities confiscated a motorcycle near the crime scene and a vehicle in the Iztacalco district, which may be connected to the incident, according to a joint bulletin the secretariat for civil security and the public prosecutor. Mayor Brugada commented "deeply affected" about the loss of her colleagues and described Guzmán as a wonderful and friendly woman as well as Muñoz as one of the smartest people she had ever met.

Claudia Sheinbaum expressed their condolences to the relatives of the two officials and offered their support in the examination. "We will get to the bottom of this Situation and make sure that justice takes place," said Sheinbaum, adding that both Guzmán and Muñoz "have been working in our movement for a long time (the Morena party);

political violence in Mexico

attacks on politicians are widespread in Mexico. Last year, the country experienced a number of pacifiers political violence. The human rights organization Data Cívica reported 661 attacks on people and facilities, with many of the victims held official positions or for municipal offices.

In May 2024, a candidate for mayor was shot in the southern state of Guerrero during a campaign. Days later, the Mayor of Cotija was shot in the state of Michoacán while she went home with her bodyguard from a gym.

In October, the mayor of Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero, was murdered less than a week after taking office. At the beginning of this month, a candidate for mayor in Veracruz was shot together with three other people during a live broadcast of an election campaign event.

correction

In an earlier version of this story, it was wrongly stated how many perpetrators were involved in the incident. The authorities state that it was a shooter.

Michael Rios from CNN contributed to this report.