By “El Huaso” for Borderland Beat
A group of gunmen killed two people and injured five more early after an Sunday morning in an attack during the opening night of a bar in Cuernavaca, Morelos.
According to authorities, the attackers entered the bar on avenida Otilio Montaño around 00:45 hours on 2 August and fired indiscriminately at those inside. Seven victims were taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds, with two dying. According to local press, none of the victims were able to describe the attackers, but social media accounts have stated that they arrived on motorbikes.
The attack is similar to an event in April 2026, when eight people were killed during an armed attack at a bar in the community of Anenecuilco, municipality of Ayala, Morelos. That attack also occurred on the bars opening night.
These attacks are most likely linked to extortion pressure from local criminal groups, who demand regular payments as well as the right to sell drugs on site. If a bar refuses to pay, or is controlled by a rival criminal group, it becomes a target.