Five people killed in a shooting at Playa Del Carmen, Cancun, Mexico, fifteen hospitalized with various injuries. This is the 2017 BPM Music Festival.
Authorities are not calling this a terrorist attack. What that means to Americans is that this doesn’t seem to be racially or politically motivated.
Isn’t any attack on people who weren’t planning on being attacked kind of terroristic?
Two Canadians, an Italian, a Colombian, and two yet unidentified people were killed in this attack — four from gunshot wounds, one woman was trampled to death when people rushed to get out of the venue. Updated counts are calling 15 people wounded in the shootings, mostly minor injuries to Americans, Mexicans, and Canadians, who have since been treated and released from area hospitals. This is initially looking like some kind of disagreement between people in the club or people around the club, but this is Mexico, and that information isn’t out there yet, at least not as of the posting of this article.
There has been a comment placed on the BPM website:
It is with great sadness to share that police have confirmed reports of a lone shooter outside the Blue Parrot nightclub in Playa Del Carmen earlier today, which resulted in four fatalities and twelve injured. The violence began on 12th street in front of the club and three members of the BPM security team were among those whose lives were lost while trying to protect patrons inside the venue.
The BPM Festival has been working closely with the local authorities (Seguridad Publica / Policia Turistica) throughout the festival to ensure public safety and security for all visitors. We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence and we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement and government officials as they continue their investigation.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their families and all those affected by these tragic events.
The BPM Festival Familia
Some video:
This one has some gnarly photos first before a little video clip, just heads up:
Something that is important — 2-3 of these people were staff — BPM security staff. These folks were in the line of fire based on their job and location, but it goes to show that no one is immune. Playa Del Carmen has apparently been lucky in not getting hit with a lot of the Cartel violence, perhaps that time is coming to an end.
It bothers me that people become so complacent anymore at shows, almost so much so that the experience is becoming harsh for those interfacing with the general public. Obviously a huge thank you to those who aren’t like that, but to those who are, it makes the job twice as hard. For those who are surprised when things like this take place, when a group of people is attacked at a live event, why are you surprised? In the event of something like this, if it’s politically or racially motivated, our events are exactly the kind of place an extremist individual or just a generally sick f**k who wants to amass casualties for some crazy internal ideal would attack. Don’t be surprised if, over the next year, you see security at events in our business increase, change, and adapt to fit and limit these situations. If you’ve ever lit an event for a president, you know what I mean. Our events will be attacked in the future, there is nothing we can really do about it beyond trying to limit an attacker from getting anywhere near people, or taking weapons from someone planning to kill people before they use them, via security at venues.
Interesting festivalgoer experience from The Sun:
“We’d carried on dancing until a wave of fear went through the place and everyone hit the deck.
“I was one of the last to get out and saw one man who was clearly dead covered in a lot of blood.
“Two women were crouched over him crying and one had taken her top off to try to stem the flow of blood but he look beyond hope.
“Outside in the road I saw another man screaming as he was treated for a gunshot wound to the leg – the scene was chaotic and no one knew where to run at first.
“Lots of music fans from Britain and all over Europe were in town and it was a brilliant festival.
“This is the last thing we expected – they were shocking sights.”
From Reuters:
At least five people, including four foreigners, were killed and 15 were wounded early on Monday when a shooter opened fire at a nightclub in Mexico’s Playa del Carmen resort during the BPM electronic music festival, state officials said.
Quintana Roo State Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech told a press conference that two Canadians, an Italian and a Colombian were killed. A woman died in the stampede to exit the club.
The Canadian government confirmed that one of its citizens had died and said it was investigating the reports of a second Canadian death.
Pech said the incident began when a person entered the Blue Parrot nightclub armed around 3.00 a.m. on Monday morning, during the closing of the festival. Another person tried to stop the person, sparking a gunfight that drew in security staff.
The shooting represents a major blow to Mexico’s tourism industry, which has been one of the few bright spots in the economy thanks to a weak peso exchange rate.
Pech added that 15 people were injured, of whom 10 are still in hospital. The state government said in a statement that one person was in grave condition. Four people were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the incident.
Pech said two of the dead were BPM security workers but the festival said in a statement that three members of their security team were killed. BPM said the shooting was carried out by a lone shooter.
Quintana Roo and the surrounding Yucatan peninsula have traditionally been less violent than other parts of Mexico, with relatively low murder rates. However, with many foreign tourists and a vibrant night life scene, there has long been an important local drug market in and around Playa Del Carmen.
The organizer of an electronic music event near Playa Del Carmen told Reuters that armed men who claimed to be part of a drug cartel turned up recently at one of his parties, demanding access to sell drugs.
The event’s security team decided to let them enter so as to avoid conflict with the men, the organizer said, adding that there were now cells from all the major Mexican cartels operating in Quintana Roo, a wealthy region full of tourists.
The organizer said the situation in Quintana Roo deteriorated after the political party controlling the state government was forced out in local elections last year, a shift that can spark violence as criminal groups struggle to realign their allegiances with the incoming political class.
“They’re all fighting for control of the region,” said the organizer, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals. “This is an aggression toward any promoter of electronic music in Mexico. It’s a wound for the entire community.”
He added that he thought BPM would have to end, and feared for his own events in the region.
Videos purportedly shot at the scene shown on television and social media appear to show dancers ducking for cover and running out on the streets to safety.
“This is a very, very sad situation. Tryna get my head around it still. Thoughts and condolences to all affected,” Scottish DJ Jackmaster, who was performing at BPM, said on Twitter.
The BPM festival, which was entering its 10th year, has grown to be one of the biggest electronic music events in the world, with top DJs flying in every January to play the clubs of Playa del Carmen along Mexico’s Caribbean coast.
In recent years, Mexico’s Caribbean coast has drawn a growing number of DJs and fans of electronic music to the beautiful, balmy region, looking to escape the frigid European and North American winters.
(Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by James Dalgleish and Nick Zieminski)
Heads up out there, lighting, sound, video, and deck hands.
Hat tips:
http://thebpmfestival.com/
https://apnews.com/a7d403c2c64846e689c6b49360cb4b6f
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/88477487/Several-dead-after-gunfire-at-BPM-music-festival-in-Mexico-Australian-DJ-says
http://abc7.com/news/5-killed-15-hurt-in-shooting-at-nightclub-in-mexico/1704698/
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-violence-bpm-idUSKBN1501LE
Man don’t be so ignorant
The shooting in Playa Del Carmen had nothing to do with terrorism or against yankees who are not welcome anywhere in the world This was just one more shooting as drug cartels fight out over territory and resources as they have done for decades in Mexico Quintana Roo like all other states were the PRI party has the state government is bossed by the Zetas Cartel and seemingly other cartels are trying to get a piece of the action which is what has led to the 65 drug trafficking industry related murders in Quintana Roo since January 2016 That’s it If you want to get the straight dope check out Noticaribe
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