A 12-year-old boy lounging on a Cancun beach was fatally shot by gunmen on jet skis, whom authorities suspect were targeting a rival drug dealer at the time.
The gunfire erupted on Kukulcán Boulevard in the municipality of Benito Juárez on Sunday just after 3 p.m.
The young victim was relaxing on a beach chair when the shooting started, Cancun News reported. The State Attorney General, known as the Fiscalía General del Estado, in a statement said “initial investigations indicate that the attackers arrived by sea on jet skis, shooting at some people presumably in a dispute over drug sales.”
He was struck in the chest and rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died a short time later, according to the FGE.
The boy was not identified, but prosecutors said he was with his family at the time and that they live in the area. Authorities also emphasized that he was not the intended target.
So far no arrests have been announced. Police said the shooters fled the scene and did not provide further details.
“The State Attorney General’s Office, in collaboration with members of the Coordination for the Construction of Peace and Security in Quintana Roo, is working to bring those responsible for this crime to justice,” the statement concluded.
On Monday, Quintana Roo Gov. Mara Lezama told reporters that authorities were relying on new surveillance technology to track down those involved.
“It is a tragedy without a doubt,” she said, adding that she was also focusing on preventing future incidents. “We are working on new technologies with the Hotel Council so that there is also investment in the beaches, not towards the interior of the hotels but towards the beaches.”