By “El Huaso” for Borderland Beat

Two youths, one 16 and the other 19, were gunned down while talking to each other by armed men outside the Escuela Secundaria Nat Tah Hi in Celaya, Guanajuato on Saturday night. Guanajuato leads the nation in killings of youths, with over 900 killed since 2019.

Photos from AM Noticias.

The double fatal shooting occurred on June 22 at 9:00 p.m., outside of the Escuela Secundaria Nat Tah Hi school on María Dominga street in Celaya, Guanajuato. According to witness, the two male victims, with fatal wounds to the head and chest, were killed by gunmen on at least two motorbikes while they stood on the street talking to each other. Both were dead by the time paramedics arrived. 

Local news identified the two victims as Brayan, 19 years old, and Luis, 16 years old (some local sources report 15 years old).

Authorities cordoned off the area, but the mother of one of the victims ran past the crime scene tape sobbing and screaming: “Why (did this happen) to my son if he didn’t follow in the wrong steps? Please let me see him! He is my boy, he did not mess with anyone!”

More children and adolescents are killed in Guanajuato than any other state in Mexico. Since 2019, over 900 have been killed in the state, mostly by firearm, reported Milenio sourcing government crime figures. According to Saskia Niño de Rivera, a researcher focused on threats against minors, explained that this is likely because organized crime heavily recruits young people, often with trickery.

Sources: AM Noticias, Celaya News, Milenio