Gunmen burst into a birthday party at a hotel in Torreon, Mexico, on July 18, blocked the doors and silently killed 17 men and women, according to a Los Angeles Times article.
Among the dead was the person in whose honor the party was held, a man known as “Mota,” the New York Times reported.
The shootists also injured a similar number of people.
Authorities recovered more than 120 spent shells.
The invitation to the party was sent via Facebook by a gay-rights group; however, the page invited everyone to the event, regardless of sexual orientation. This fact raised speculation that the killings were anti-gay crimes; however, some feel that drug traffickers were the killers.
It was one of the highest single-incident death tolls since Mexico’s drug war started when President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against cartels in December 2006.
In late January, 10 people were killed at a bar in Torreon, according to JusticeInMexico.wordpress.com.com.