At least six people were killed and 13 others seriously injured in an armed attack at a funeral in Guatemala, in what authorities suspect is a continuation of gang-related violence.
The shooting occurred during a wake at a local funeral home for a victim killed in an earlier gang-related incident.
According to police report, armed gang members arrived at the funeral on motorcycles and opened fire before fleeing the scene.
Confirming the fatalities in a statement issued on Wednesday, Guatemala’s Interior Minister, Francisco Jiménez, stated that the incident is believed to stem from an ongoing turf war between the country’s most notorious criminal groups—Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).
“While the wake was taking place, rival gang members from Mara Salvatrucha stormed the funeral home and opened fire on the family and companions of the deceased,” he said.
Jiménez disclosed that the wake had been classified as a high-risk event due to the deceased’s known criminal ties.
Municipal spokesperson Amílcar Montejo noted that some of the injured victims were found just meters from the building, suggesting they had tried to flee or were caught in the chaos outside.
“Seven people died on the spot and 13 were wounded,” Montejo confirmed. “The attackers fled the scene immediately, prompting authorities to cordon off the area. Forensic teams have since recovered the bodies, while police continue investigating.”
The MS-13 gang was formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants fleeing civil war. The brutal gang has since spread to Guatemala and Honduras, turning the region into one of the most violent in the world.
Its violent grip on Central America is one of the driving forces behind the region’s migration crisis, pushing thousands to flee to the United States.
Earlier this year, the U.S. designated MS-13 a terrorist organization, with President Trump describing it as “probably the meanest, worst gang in the world” and “an evil group of people. They’re sick and deranged.”
Barrio 18 and MS-13 are locked in a brutal fight for territorial control in Guatemala, extorting shopkeepers, transport workers, and civilians.
Guatemala ended 2024 with a homicide rate of 16.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, twice the global average, according to the Interior Ministry.
However, the figure has dropped from 29.6 in 2014. Authorities attribute nearly half of all violent crimes to drug cartel activity and turf wars between gangs.
