The mayor of Tancanhuitz municipality in Mexico’s central San Luis Potosi state, Jesus Eduardo Franco, was shot dead on Sunday, along with three other individuals.
Local authorities confirmed the incident, adding to the growing list of violent attacks against local officials in the country.
According to the San Luis Potosi State Prosecutor’s Office, the victims were found dead inside a vehicle. Details of the attack remain under investigation.
Franco, a member of Mexico’s ruling Morena party, was mourned by party president Rita Rodriguez, who condemned the killing and called for justice.
“We deeply regret the death of our colleague Eduardo Franco, municipal president of Tancanhuitz.
“We ask authorities to reach the ultimate consequences and find those responsible,” Rodriguez wrote on X (formerly Twitter)
Franco’s assassination is the latest in a string of attacks targeting local officials in Mexico, many of which are tied to organized crime.
Last month, Alejandro Arcos, a mayor in Guerrero state, was brutally murdered and decapitated less than a week after taking office. His severed head was found placed atop a pickup truck, sending shockwaves across the country.
Mexico has grappled with rampant violence since the government deployed the military to combat drug trafficking in 2006. Over 450,000 people have been murdered, and thousands remain missing, according to official statistics.