A gunman attacked Blue Parrot nightclub in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico this morning, killing at least five people.
The nightclub was hosting an afterparty for The BPM Festival, promoted by Elrow.
The festival had previously confirmed four deaths and 12 injuries, but Mexican media outlet Milenio TVÂ has since confirmed five deaths and 15 injuries. Three of the deaths were members of the festival security team.
Local police chief Rodolfo del Angel said the shooting was likely caused by a fight at the party. There is also the potential of the incident being related to gang violence.
Mixmag‘s US Digital Editor Valerie Lee, who was at the venue during the shooting, provided an eye-witness account of what happened:
“We were in the backstage area, which is super close to the main entrance. At least four to five shots were fired. People started running because there’s an exit in the back. We stopped and hid behind a cement wall, then crawled under a metal table. Security guards at first didn’t think it was shots and kept claiming it was fireworks, saying everything was OK. Then people kept running and said they saw a gun. We kept hiding until they opened the back gate and we ran outside.”
Wax Motif, one of the DJs present for the attack, also shared his thoughts.
A statement from BPM Festival organizers says they are cooperating with officials and are “overcome with grief.”
Blue Parrot did not have metal detectors, according to Italian publication Techno Experience.
BREAKING NEWS: Mass shooting reporting in the popular Mexican resort town of #PlayaDelCarmen. pic.twitter.com/semRlEdCxW
— kendis gibson (@kendisgibson) January 16, 2017
#BPMFestival #BlueParrot I was so close by the fence on the beach, shooting happened inside, not from the beach pic.twitter.com/KSLhNo0NDN
— MauroMC (@DJMauroMC) January 16, 2017
H/T: Mixmag
