9 killed after masked men set fire to public market in Mexico

At least nine individuals were killed after a group of masked men set fire to a public market in the Mexican city of Toluca on Monday, authorities said. 

The attackers arrived at the Central de Abasto market at around 2:30 p.m. They proceeded to open fire, and spread a flammable substance on parts of the installation, which they set on fire before fleeing the scene, prosecutors said. 

"Nine people lost their lives, eight of them at the site and one more in a hospital," according to a statement by officials. Three of the nine killed were minors under the age of 18. Additionally, one person is being treated at the hospital. 

The identity of the suspects is still unknown. Police are searching for any evidence that could lead to their arrest. 

The prosecutor's office said in a statement that one of the first lines of investigation is that events may have been related to internal disputes over the possession of commercial spaces.” In the past, there have been fires at public markets caused by vendors disputing the commercial spaces within the market. 

However, police are also investigating whether the fire was set by gang members, which are known to commonly set public markets on when vendors refuse to pay for their protection. 

Prosecutors are investigating why the private security guards in charge of the supermarket left their posts at the time of the attack and allegedly shut off surveillance cameras during the attack. At least four security guards were detained by police and taken in for questioning. 

Toluca is the capital city of the State of Mexico and is located about 40 miles (60 kilometers) from Mexico City. Almost a million inhabitants are living in Toluca. The Central de Abasto market in Toluca is the second-largest in the country, receiving around 26,000 visitors a day.