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Masked gunmen opened fire on a public market in the central Mexican city of Toluca on Monday, killing nine people. The officers provided this information.
Prosecutors said the assailants opened fire as soon as they reached the market, and then sprayed an inflammable substance on part of the market before setting it on fire and fleeing. He said three of the dead were below 18 years of age, but they were yet to be identified. No one claimed responsibility for the attack in Toluca, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) west of Mexico City. Toluca, the capital of the State of Mexico, is a city of approximately one million inhabitants and is considered part of the capital’s metropolitan area, where some residents commute to work.
Dispute over occupation of commercial places
State prosecutors said the market incidents may have been related to internal disputes over possession of commercial spaces. Mexico’s public markets are often instigated by gangs demanding security payments from vendors, but in some places vendors have been able to control their possession. Controversy has also started regarding this.
At least two mutilated bodies were found in Toluca last week, with signs claiming responsibility by the violent Familia Michoacana cartel.
