Gunfire captured on stream as Mexican mayoral candidate, 3 others killed

A mayoral candidate in Mexico was among four killed during a livestream of her campaign event in Veracruz on Sunday, May 11. — Image credit: AP Photo/Victoria Razo

Summary

The victims

A Mexican mayoral candidate and her daughter were among four people killed in a shooting on Sunday during a live-streamed campaign event.

Sheinbaum's response

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said while a motive remains unclear in the deadly incident her administration is prepared to help with the investigation and security ahead of the June 1 elections in two Mexican states.

Impact

The mayoral candidate’s death is an all too common occurrence in Mexico, which has seen an uptick in political violence, including the murder of a mayor just days after taking office last year.

Full story

Editor’s note: The above video includes clips from the livestream of the campaign event where the shooting took place.

A Mexican mayoral candidate and her daughter were among the four people shot and killed after gunfire erupted during a Facebook livestream of a campaign event on Sunday, May 11. Three people were also injured in the attack.

The deadly shooting happened in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz.

Police identified the candidate as Yesenia Lara Gutierrez, who was part of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s political party.

What happened?

The Facebook livestream shows a crowd marching in what appeared to be a parade before gunshots started. Roughly 20 shots could be heard in the clip.

Investigators have not made it clear whether they arrested a suspect, but they promised to bring those responsible to justice.

Sheinbaum responds

Sheinbaum didn’t disclose a motive for the assassination at a press conference on Monday. The Mexican president said her administration is in contact with Veracruz authorities and said federal support is available if needed, including help from the state attorney general’s office.

Sheinbaum noted that Gutierrez’s death occurred just before the June 1 election in two Mexican states.

“We’re coordinating in particular with the Secretary of Security, and with all the support needed during this electoral period from Veracruz and Durango,” Sheinbaum said.

A pattern of violence

Following Gutierrez’s death, two federal agents were also killed in another part of Veracruz, according to reports.

Targeted killings of politicians have become common in Mexico before and after election cycles.

According to Data Civica, a human rights group, a record number of people were attacked in politically related violence. In 2024, 661 politically-related attacks targeted on people and facilities.

El Economist also reported that between June 2023 and June 2024, the country saw its highest number of murders of politicians in recent history. In total, 63 political officials were assassinated. Gutierrez’s murder also comes after another mayoral candidate was killed in late April in the northern part of Veracruz.

In May 2024, a mayoral candidate was shot and killed in the southern state of Guerrero during a campaign stop. Just days after the attack, another mayor was killed after being shot while walking back to her home from the gym.

In fall 2024, Straight Arrow News reported the mayor of Guerrero’s capital was murdered by a cartel just days after he took office.

Zachary Hill (Video Editor), Cole Lauterbach (Managing Editor), and Ally Heath (Senior Digital Producer) contributed to this report.

Tags: Assassination, Claudia Sheinbaum, Crime, Death, Drug cartels, Gang Violence, Gun control, Gun laws, Gun violence, Homicide, Investigation, Mexico, Murder, Police

//GUNSHOT//

[LAUREN KEENAN]
THAT’S THE MOMENT A CAMPAIGN EVENT FOR A MAYOR CANDIDATE IN MEXICO TURNED DEADLY. IT’S THE LATEST IN A LONG STRING OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE THAT’S PLAGUED THE COUNTRY.

THE FATAL SHOOTING OF MAYORAL CANDIDATE YESENIA LARA GUITERREZ, HER DAUGHTER, AND TWO OTHERS—AS WELL AS INJURING THREE MORE—HAPPENED SUNDAY NIGHT IN THE EASTERN MEXICO STATE OF VERACRUZ.

//GUNSHOT//

BYSTANDERS HEARD ROUGHLY 20 SHOTS RING OUT AS A CELEBRATION TURNED INTO CHAOS AND PEOPLE FLED THE SCENE.

AUTHORITIES HAVE YET TO ANNOUNCE ANY ARRESTS IN THE CASE BUT HAVE VOWED JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS.

MEXICAN PRESIDENT CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM ADDRESSED THE DEADLY INCIDENT MONDAY DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE, OFFERING STATE SUPPORT FROM HER ADMINISTRATION AS ELECTIONS ARE SET TO BE HELD IN VERACRUZ AND DURANGO ON JUNE 1ST.

SHEINBAUM SAYS A MOTIVE IN THE SLAYINGS REMAINS UNCLEAR.

POLITICAL VIOLENCE HAS BECOME ALL-TOO-COMMON IN MEXICO. A RECORD NUMBER OF MORE THAN 660 POLITICALLY-RELATED VIOLENT ACTS TARGETING PEOPLE AND FACILITIES WERE REPORTED LAST YEAR. BETWEEN JUNE 2023 AND JUNE 2024, THERE WERE 63 ASSASSINATIONS OF POLITICAL FIGURES—THE MOST IN MODERN HISTORY.

NOTABLE CASES INCLUDE A MAYORAL CANDIDATE SHOT AND KILLED IN SOUTHERN MEXICO IN MAY OF LAST YEAR, AND THE BEHEADING OF A MAYOR JUST DAYS AFTER TAKING OFFICE IN THE CAPITAL OF GUERRERO STATE IN OCTOBER 2024—A MURDER POLICE BELIEVE WAS CARRIED OUT BY A CARTEL.

GUITERREZ’S MURDER ALSO FOLLOWS THE KILLING OF ANOTHER MAYORAL CANDIDATE IN NORTHERN VERACRUZ LATE LAST MONTH.

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN KEENAN.

Why this story matters

The assassination of mayoral candidate Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez during a public campaign event in Veracruz highlights ongoing political violence in Mexico, its potential effects on the electoral process, and concerns about the influence of organized crime on local democracy.

Political violence

The frequent targeting and killing of politicians and candidates in Mexico, as noted by multiple sources including Data Civica and official statements, underscores persistent threats to the country's public officials and democratic institutions.

Election security

Incidents like the killing of Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez ahead of local elections raise concerns about the safety of candidates and the ability to conduct free, fair, and secure electoral processes.

Organized crime and governance

According to reports and expert commentary cited in several articles, attacks on local politicians are often linked to efforts by organized criminal groups to exert control over municipalities, illustrating the vulnerability of local governance and the broader challenge of institutional fragility in the face of criminal influence.

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Behind the numbers

Multiple articles cite figures illustrating the scale of political violence in Mexico. According to Data Cívica, there were 661 attacks on people and facilities linked to political-criminal violence in 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, Integralia reports 104 incidents of political violence, including 50 homicides, with most victims being current or aspiring municipal officials.

Community reaction

Local community members in Texistepec expressed profound fear and frustration following the attack. At the wake of Yesenia Lara Gutierrez, supporters voiced exhaustion over persistent insecurity, describing the situation as akin to terrorism. Families and residents cited fear for their safety, and public mourning highlighted how the violence has deeply affected the community.

Policy impact

The incident has prompted authorities to reassess security provisions for political candidates. The event triggered emergency security deployments, renewed investigations, and public commitments to strengthen election safety. It may lead to policy changes regarding candidate protection and emergency responses in regions identified as high risk for political violence.

Sources

Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left frame the killings as symptomatic of endemic political violence fueled by corruption and cartel influence, using language like "cowardly murder" and highlighting government coordination to address systemic issues.
Not enough coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
Media outlets on the right emphasize immediate law-and-order concerns, spotlighting community fear and insecurity with terms such as "terrorism" and framing violence as a threat to democracy’s stability.

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Media landscape

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Key points from the Left

Yesenia Lara Gutierrez, a mayoral candidate for the Morena party, was shot dead along with three supporters at a campaign event in Veracruz, according to the state governor.
Veracruz State Governor Rocío Nahle stated, "No position or office is worth a person's life," following the assassination.
The attack is part of a disturbing trend, with 661 attacks on political candidates reported last year, according to Data Cívica, a human rights organization.
President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the attack but stated she had no information yet about the motive.

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Key points from the Center

Yesenia Lara Gutierrez, who represented Morena in the race for Texistepec's mayoral office, was fatally shot on Sunday evening during a campaign event, along with three of her supporters.
The attack occurred amid a surge in violence targeting local politicians linked to cartel conflicts during Mexico's ongoing election cycle.
State officials reported four killed and three wounded, while video footage captured about 20 gunshots as the campaign event turned chaotic.
Veracruz Governor Rocío Nahle vowed to bring those behind the brutal killing of the Morena candidate and her supporters to justice, while President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that investigations are underway, though the motive remains unknown.
The killing underscores persistent threats to political candidates in Mexico, with authorities promising action against frequent violence linked to drug cartels and corruption.

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Key points from the Right

Gunmen killed Mayoral Candidate Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez of the Morena party in Veracruz, along with four others, during a campaign rally on Sunday, authorities confirmed.
This incident marks the second killing of a local candidate in Veracruz ahead of the elections scheduled for June 1.
Veracruz Governor Rocío Nahle stated that Gutiérrez's daughter was among the victims and emphasized the need for justice and security for local candidates.
Supporter Joaquín Fonseca described the violence as terrorism, expressing concern for public safety amid rising insecurity in the region.

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