Armed gunmen opened fire on a crowd outside a cockfight in Tijuana’s Cuesta Blanca neighborhood on Saturday night, killing two men and wounding a woman in what authorities described as a targeted attack involving more than 20 rounds.
The shooting took place on the evening of April 11 near the Santa Fe area in eastern Tijuana. A group of hitmen carrying long guns arrived at the scene and fired repeatedly into the crowd gathered for the cockfight. Two men died at the scene: David Reynaldo, 58, and an unidentified male estimated to be between 50 and 55 years old.
A 30-year-old woman from the state of Coahuila was shot in the back during the attack. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment, and her condition has not been publicly updated.
Shooters Fled Toward Rosarito
After the attack, the gunmen fled south toward Playas de Rosarito in two vehicles: a red pickup truck and a sedan. Municipal police, Mexican military personnel, and investigators from the Baja California state prosecutor’s office (FGE) secured the crime scene and collected more than 20 shell casings.
The Cuesta Blanca neighborhood sits in an area of eastern Tijuana that has been the focus of prior security operations. The Santa Fe zone, which borders several rapidly growing residential developments, has experienced periodic outbursts of organized crime violence in recent years.
Pattern of Violence at Gatherings
Attacks at cockfights and other informal gatherings have been a recurring feature of cartel violence across Mexico. In 2022, gunmen killed 20 people at a clandestine cockfighting venue in Michoacán in one of the deadliest mass shootings of that era. Saturday’s attack in Tijuana was smaller in scale but followed a similar pattern: armed men arriving at a known gathering spot and opening fire with high-caliber weapons.
Cockfighting remains a legal, regulated activity in parts of Mexico, though many events operate informally. The Cuesta Blanca cockfight’s legal status has not been clarified by authorities.
No arrests have been announced in connection with the shooting. The Baja California FGE has not released a public statement identifying suspects or a possible motive. The incident was first reported by Punto Norte.