Gunmen Shoot Dancer Dead in Church Atrium at Valle de Santiago’s Virgin of Mercy Festival as Worshippers Dive Between Pews
A woman dancing in honor of the Virgin of Mercy was shot dead in front of the Templo de la Merced in Valle de Santiago, Guanajuato, on the night of Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Worshippers inside threw themselves to the floor between the pews, and the town’s second-largest patron-saint festival was canceled. The victim was preliminarily identified as Patricia “N.” It was the latest in a week of attacks in the municipality, which included Sunday’s shooting at a baseball game in Duranes de Arriba.
Shot in the church atrium
The attack happened at about 9 p.m. on Zaragoza Street in the La Loma neighborhood, La Silla Rota and El Universal reported on Sept. 25. Witnesses told Milenio that two men arrived on a motorcycle. One got off, walked up to the woman and fired at her in front of the crowd, then fled with his accomplice. She was part of a group of danzantes performing at the celebration, El Universal said.
Churchgoers were walking toward the altar chanting “¡Viva la señora de la Merced!” when the shots rang out, El Universal reported. It also described women inside shouting to close the doors. Periódico Correo reported that the parish called off the rest of the festival, including the traditional fireworks “castle,” as vendors hurriedly packed up their stalls.
Milenio’s video report on the attack:
Investigation and the mayor’s response
Guanajuato’s state Attorney General’s Office opened a homicide investigation, El Universal reported. Municipal police, the National Guard and the Army cordoned off the area and searched nearby streets. As of Sept. 25, no arrests had been reported and no motive had been given.
Mayor Israel Mosqueda Gasca offered condolences to the family and told Periódico Correo that security operations in the municipality are “permanent.” He also acknowledged that “the patrols had already passed” when the attack happened.
A violent week in Valle de Santiago
Authorities have not linked the killing to any criminal group. El Blog del Narco said it came in a week in which seven people were killed in three attacks in Valle de Santiago in less than 24 hours. According to Borderland Beat, those attacks included the baseball-field shooting and the discovery of three men’s bodies on a rural road near La Tejonera. El Financiero has linked the string of sports-field attacks in Guanajuato’s Bajío region to a dispute between the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel and the CJNG.
Sources
- El Universal, Sept. 25, 2026
- La Silla Rota, Sept. 25, 2026
- Milenio, Sept. 25, 2026
- Periódico Correo, Sept. 24, 2026 and Sept. 25, 2026
- El Blog del Narco, Sept. 25, 2026
- Borderland Beat, September 2026
- Photos: Especial/CSC Noticias, via La Silla Rota; video: MILENIO.
Reported Sept. 26, 2026, from the Mexican media reports listed above. The victim has been identified only preliminarily. Authorities had announced no arrests, suspects or motive, and no criminal group has been officially tied to the attack.