Two gang members dead after shooting at exclusive Cancun hotel

A shooting on Thursday, in the Riviera Maya of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, left two suspected drug members dead and one wounded on a beachfront near the Mexican resort of Cancun.

Local police confirmed that the attack occurred after gunmen -- allegedly from rival drug cartels -- exchanged fire at the beach hotel in the municipality of Puerto Morelos. The shooting caused hundreds of tourists and workers to take shelter, without understanding what was happening.

Comunicado
Se reportó al 911 la presencia de sujetos armados en la zona de playa del Hotel Ziva en Puerto Morelos, quienes privaron de la vida a dos hombres los cuáles se presume son narcomenudistas.
No hay turistas lesionados de gravedad, ni secuestrados. pic.twitter.com/UiFuKil9r2

— SSP_QROO (@SSP_QROO) November 4, 2021

The Quintana Roo Coordination, Control, Command, Computing and Communication Center (C-5) received a report that at least 15 armed people broke into the Hyatt Ziva hotel in Bahia Petempich, according to El Universal.

The local Attorney General's Office confirmed that it was a "confrontation with firearms between members of opposing groups of drug dealers". The two people who were killed were among the participants in the shooting.

Tourists onsite such as Mike Sington posted videos on his Twitter account: "Several guests have (said) they saw a gunman coming up from the beach, actively shooting," he commented in the post.

All guests and employees taken out of hiding now and brought to lobby. Active shooter at Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun Resort. Still no update from hotel. People are hugging each other and crying. pic.twitter.com/AqbYms3AUb

— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) November 4, 2021

Andrew Krop mentioned that his husband was at the resort performing for the gay vacation group Vacaya, Fox News noted.

Krop said his partner had heard gunshots, so he barricaded himself in a room for an hour before resort guests were escorted to the lobby and confirmed to be safe.

On Oct. 24, another shooting in the municipality of Tulum resulted in the death of a German tourist and one from India. Three other visitors from Germany and Holland were wounded and were admitted to a hospital.

Authorities stated that this shooting was also the result of a confrontation between rival drug gangs. Over the last year, the region has been the scene of several violent episodes in which shootings and murders have become increasingly common, even in areas frequented by tourists, according to El País.