Thu 16 Jun 2016 In: International News View at Wayback View at NDHA
More news has emerged regarding the mass-shooting at a gay bar in Xalapa, Mexico that took place just over three weeks ago and a surveillance video has been published in the Spanish-language media from Mexico. The official number of those dead appears to have grown to at least 7 dead, with 12 wounded. Unofficial reports and witness accounts put this number at around 15 dead. 20-year-old Luis Donaldo Rivera Calderón was killed in the shooting at Madame bar in Xalapa. Overnight Spanish-language news website RT has published a video of surveillance footage from outside Madame bar in Xalapa on the night of the shooting. It shows a car back-down the driveway in front of the bar and a group of men, at least one can be seen with an assault weapon, enter the bar. They quickly exit moments later and a person stumbles out and falls to the ground. The men are shown driving off and large numbers of people can be seen running out of the bar and away. The names of six of the deceased were published in Spanish-language Mexican outlet Noreste on May 24: Cristian Pacheco, 31 Lucas Gustavo Hernández Ruiz, 22 Alexis Jiménez Suárez, 21 Francisco Javier Marín Hernández, 21 Isaac Nathanael Luis Donaldo Rivera Calderón, 20 Mexican authorities have stated they believe the motive for the shooting was drug related however as this is often cited as a motive it is unclear what the real motives of the shooters were. RT reports the State Attorney, Luis Ángel Bravo Contreras claimed shortly after the shooting that the gunmen used AK-47 and R-15 guns. He says “There were victims that suffered collateral damage to what was a cowardly attack, possibly directed to a specific target, which affected the citizens who were simply having fun.” A reporter based in Xalapa told Regeneración that “there were many more than what the government says, obviously”. Her comments are backed by various witnesses, including a local doctor who tended to the injured and knowing that the authorities would try to cover up the facts, told reporters at Noreste there were more than 15 people dead. The doctor, who works at Ignacio García Tellez hospital in Xalapa, said that among the wounded there was a 14 year old pregnant minor who suffered a severe wound in the leg and another one in the arm. Mexico’s Spanish-language news outlets reporting this story, including RT, Regeneracion and Publimetro have updated their reports following the shooting in Orlando and question why the shooting in Xalapa has not had the same response. [Editor's note: It would be helpful if someone fluent in Spanish and with a little time to offer would be able to assist in our GayNZ.com Daily News continuing investigation. If you can help for an hour or so here and there please contact: news@gaynz.com] The surveillance video can be seen here but we warn that it may disturb some viewers.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 16th June 2016 - 10:56am