Clash Between Armed Groups in Santa Fe, Culiacán, Sinaloa, Leaves One Dead and Three Wounded

A confrontation between two opposing groups occurred this Tuesday afternoon, December 9, on one of the main roads in the Santa Fe neighborhood of Culiacán, Sinaloa, where four people were injured by gunfire. One of them later died.  A recent-model vehicle was also stolen, and three AK-47 assault rifles, tactical equipment, magazines, and ammunition were seized.

Are the names of the injured and the deceased known?

To date, the names of the injured and the deceased haven’t been released. It was only reported that they are young men who were wounded in the shootout and who transported themselves in the stolen vehicle to a hospital to receive medical attention. One of them died, and three others are reported injured, two of them seriously.

What is known about this violent incident?

According to reports, it was minutes after 1 p.m. when two opposing groups exchanged gunfire with bursts from automatic weapons, after one group ambushed another traveling in a recent-model Mazda CX3 SUV, burgundy in color, at the intersection of Constelaciones Boulevard and Santa Fe Boulevard, in the neighborhood of the same name, right next to the storm drain that runs through the area and a well-known auto parts store.

According to the information provided at the scene, the occupants of a vehicle, whose characteristics weren’t disclosed, ambushed the four young men traveling in the burgundy Mazda CX3, shooting at them repeatedly with assault rifles. The driver of the vehicle then sped away in the opposite direction on Santa Fe Boulevard, in the eastbound lane, to try to escape the area. During the shootout, the driver sustained at least four gunshot wounds to his body and back, causing him to lose consciousness and control of the vehicle.  The car then crashed into a tree in the median separating the two lanes, where it came to a stop with two of its left-side tires blown out and multiple bullet holes in the body and windows. The gunmen who initially opened fire fled the scene in an unknown direction.

After the shooting, the occupants of the Mazda CX-3 carjacked a recent model, burgundy Chevrolet Aveo driven by a woman who had stopped to buy vegetables at a produce stand across from the scene of the shooting. The gunmen loaded their wounded accomplices into the stolen car and took them to a hospital for medical attention, where one of them died while receiving treatment.

The other two remain in serious condition in the intensive care unit, while the fourth sustained significant injuries but is in stable condition. The stolen Chevrolet Aveo was found in the emergency parking area of the hospital. Inside, authorities located two AK-47 rifles and another one on the floor, along with tactical gear, ammunition, magazines, and other illicit items.

Source: Los Noticieristas