Gunmen Kill 6 People, Wound 26 Others in Attack on Party in Northern Mexico Border State

A member of the Mexican National Guard stands guard at a checkpoint near where relatives of a group of sixteen Chiapas state police administrative workers protest on the highway for the release of their kidnapped relatives in Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas state, Mexico, on June 29, 2023. Raul Mendoza/AFP via Getty Images

MEXICO CITY—Three gunmen pulled up to a party early on Friday in northern Mexico and opened fire on partygoers, killing six people and wounding 26 others.

Two of the dead were under 18 years old, and five of the wounded were children. Four of the wounded were reported to be in critical condition at local hospitals, while 13 others were treated and released.

Prosecutors in the border state of Sonora said the killings in the city of Ciudad Obregon was an attack on a suspected cartel member who was wanted in homicide and other charges.

A fourth gunman who participated in the attack was already at the party. The suspected cartel member tried to flee but was killed.

The attackers were able to escape. Sonora has been the scene of bloody turf battles between various drug gangs.