Sunday afternoon, locals and visitors to Mazamitla were happily watching a display by the daring Voladores de Papantla in the main plaza of this tranquil mountain town when their peace was abruptly interrupted by the sound of rattling gunfire from nearby streets.
Gripped by panic, most people dashed for shelter under the wooden arches that surround the quaint central square in one of the state’s most popular “Magic Towns.” Although the shooting continued for some time longer, the battle, fortunately, did not spread into the plaza.
As security forces from various corporations were mobilized, reports came in of vehicles being set alight on roads leading in and out of Mazamitla, not only thwarting cops trying to enter the town, but also scuppering the efforts of tourists eager to escape town as quickly as possible.
Some of those caught up in the mayhem posted videos of the evacuation of the plaza on social media within minutes of the incident, but it took authorities several hours to issue an official statement on what had occurred.
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