A group of gunmen attacked a resort in central Mexico on Saturday, April 15, killing seven people, including a seven-year-old child. 

The shooting, which occurred near the pool at the La Palma resort in Cortazar, a small town in Guanajuato state, killed three women, three men and a seven-year-old child. Another person was seriously injured in the shooting and taken to a local hospital.  

Video footage taken after the deadly shooting showed dead bodies piled up near the pool, with shocked adults and children walking around. 

According to the authorities, the suspects entered the resort’s swimming pool and began shooting at everyone around 4:30 pm. The Cortazar Security Department stated that the gunmen also destroyed the spa store in the resort and took the security cameras that videotaped the attack.

Mexican authorities launched a search for the gunmen using a helicopter after they fled the scene. Authorities still don’t know who was behind the fatal shooting and have not revealed a possible motive for the attack.

Videos circulating on social media of the aftermath showed scared parents hugging their kids.

In one of the videos, an unidentified witness said that heavily armed gunmen suddenly showed up and opened fire.

In recent years, rival drug cartels have engaged in skirmishes in the state, but authorities have not implicated any specific group in this attack. No arrests have been made, and officials say they are investigating the motive. 

Guanajuato, a major agriculture and manufacturing hub and production site, is known for gang violence and has recently struggled with brutal turf wars between rival gangs. The state is attractive to drug cartels because of its road and rail networks that go straight to the US border.

Gang violence is one of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s biggest challenges since taking office. Even though homicides in the country have decreased slightly in the last year, President Obrador’s term might be the bloodiest in recent history.