Frightening video footage captured the moment a mayoral candidate was assassinated and three people were wounded at his final campaign event in the Mexican Pacific coast state of Guerrero.
José Cabrera, who was running for mayor in the municipality of Coyuca de Benítez, was shot at least two times by a gunman on Wednesday afternoon.
The 37-year-old can be seen exchanging pleasantries with supporters as he walked toward the stage set on a basketball court when the suspect aimed the gun at the back of his head and opened fire.
The shooting sent screaming supporters running for safety before at least 15 rounds were fired.
The gunman, whose name has not been released by authorities, was shot dead. At least one person was arrested.
Cabrera is the 36th politician murdered since September 2023, the start of the campaign season.
Mayoral candidate José Cabrera was seen on video greeting supporters at his final campaign rally seconds before he was assassinated Wednesday in the western Mexican city of Coyuca de Benítez
The gunman's weapon appeared in a video while mayoral candidate José Cabrera was greeting supporters before he pulled the triggers and fired two shots. The suspect, whose name has not been released by authorities, was shot dead
Just five hours before his assassination, Cabrera, who was running under a unity ticket supported the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), National Action Party (PAN) and Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), had taken to Facebook to thank his supporters ahead of Sunday's general elections.
'I have not the slightest doubt that Our people have already decided and are convinced of the direction that our Municipality will take these next three years,' he wrote.
'Grateful to God and that his will is what will endure in this election, he knows the hearts of all of us and knows the intention we have to serve our people.
'I invite you to participate and make your voice count in that ballot box where you can choose your ruler responsibly. See you soon and together we will celebrate our triumph.'
The PRI lamented Cabrera's murder while slamming Morena, the ruling party, of failing to provide protection for public office candidates.
'We demand that the authorities investigate this devious crime and find those responsible,' the PRI said in a statement.
'It is a shame that the Morena government has not made even the slightest effort to guarantee the safety of the candidates and that this campaign ends violently.'
José Cabrera became the 36th person running for public office to be murdered in Mexico's current electoral cycle. The 37-year-old mayoral candidate for the western town of Coyuca de Benítez was gunned down at his final campaign event Wednesday afternoon
Rosalinda López, who is attempting to become mayor of the southern Mexico city of Matías Romero lamented the shooting of a band member at her last campaign event Wednesday
PAN candidate Xóchitl Gálvez, who is trailing Morena nominee Claudia Sheinbaum to become the country's first female president, recalled meeting Cabrera during the Hurricane Otis recovery efforts.
'There are no words to express the indignation I feel over the murder of Alfredo Cabrera, candidate for municipal president of Coyuca, Guerrero,' Gálvez wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. 'My deepest condolences to his family, his friends and the entire town of Coyuca de Benítez. Rest in peace.'
Jesús Zambrano, the PRD national director, linked Cabrera's murder to the stronghold of criminal organizations in the state and accused the federal government and the National Electoral Board for not providing security to politicians.
'More than 50% of the Guerrero territory is threatened by organized crime, the situation in the state is alarming,' Zambrano wrote on X. 'We demand the immediate intervention of the authorities to end this climate of violence that is being faced in the state and throughout the country.'
Wednesday's violence spread to the southern state of Oaxaca where gunmen shot the member of a band that was hired to performed at the final campaign event of Rosalinda López, who is running for mayor in the municipality of Matías Romero.
Coyuca de Benítez, Mexico mayoral candidate José Cabrera posed with supporters moments before he was shot dead at his final campaign event on Wednesday afternoon
Ricardo Arizmendi, who was running for mayor in the central Mexican city of Cuautla, was assassinated on Tuesday
Authorities found the severed head of Aníbal Zuñiga, who was running for councilman of the Guerrero city of Coyuca de Benítez, on May 16 in Acapulco
'What hurts me the most and bothers me the most is that they threaten the lives of others,' said If there is so much hatred and fear towards me, let it be against me.'
At least 20,000 candidates are vying for office in what has become one of the deadliest campaign seasons in history.
Ricardo Arizmendi, who was running as the alternate mayoral candidate of Cuautla in the central state of Morelos, was shot at a market by two men aboard a motorcycle on Tuesday. A woman was also wounded in the attack.
Gilberto Palomar, who seeks the mayor's seat of Encarnación de Díaz in the western state of Jalisco, and two of his staffers were wounded in a shooting at his home while they were wrapping up his campaign, according to state security coordinator Ricardo Sánchez.
Rubén Cruz, who is seeking to become mayor of Hueypoxtla in State of Mexico, narrowly escaped an attack after gunmen opened fire on him and his friends and family while they were walking back to his home hours after wrapping up his campaign.
The severed heads of Aníbal Zuñiga, who was running for councilman of the Guerrero city of Coyuca de Benítez, and his wife, Rubí Bravo, were abandoned in the resort city of Acapulco on May 16.
