Armed attack at Tabasco bar kills six

An armed attack at the DBAR bar in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, resulted in six deaths and ten injuries when gunmen entered the establishment allegedly targeting a specific patron. Five victims died at the scene, while another succumbed to injuries during transport to the hospital.

Public Safety Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed that federal authorities are working with local officials to investigate the incident. State Deputy Prosecutor Gilberto Melquiades reported that armed individuals entered seeking a specific target, with the ensuing gunfire affecting nearby patrons.

The shooting occurs amid escalating violence in Tabasco and follows a separate incident in Jalapa, where armed men attacked a wedding, killing one person and wounding three others. Deputy prosecutor Melquiades Miranda Diaz emphasized that these events are unrelated.

The attack adds to Mexico's ongoing struggle with violence, which has claimed over 450,000 lives since 2006, primarily due to drug trafficking and gang activity. It presents an early challenge for President Christina Sheinbaum, who became Mexico's first woman president on October 1. Sheinbaum has distanced herself from her predecessor's "hugs, not bullets" approach while maintaining a focus on social policies to address crime's root causes rather than declaring "war" on drug cartels.

The incident follows a recent similar attack in Querétaro, where gunmen killed ten people and injured thirteen in a bar located in the historic city center, an area previously less affected by the violence plaguing neighboring states like Guerrero.

Instead, she has pledged to continue her predecessor's strategy of using social policy to tackle crime at its roots, while also making better use of intelligence.