At least five people are confirmed dead with 15 injured after an early morning shooting at BPM festival last night–with reports suggesting the death toll could be as high as eight.

According to a Police Director Rodolfo De Angel and witnesses on the ground, the shooting took place outside the Blue Parrot nighclub in Mexico’s Playa del Carmen. The Blue Parrot was hosting Elrow’s closing party when the shooting broke out, killing a confirmed 5 partygoers. DJs scheduled to perform the party included Seth Troxler, Paco Osuna, Sidney Charles, and more.

Del Angel gave the updated death toll on Mexico’s Milenio TV, saying the shooting was a result of “a disagreement between people inside” the nightclub which escalated when security guards tried to contain the argument. BPM has confirmed that three members of their security team were among the casualties. They also confirmed the incident involved a lone gunman.

But police reports are being contested by an overwhelming amount of witness testimony that suggests the shots were actually fired into the crowd from outside the venue.

“We later talked to a friend who had been outside when it happened,” said Valerie Lee, Mixmag’s US Digital Editor who was on site as the shooting broke out. “He said he was 20ft away from the shooter and that he saw five bodies on the ground before he ran away. The shooters didn’t seem to enter the club, they just kind of shot towards the front entrance and did not get in. People seem to be saying shooters but I’m not positive [how many there were].”

Cell phone footage posted shortly after the event shows partygoers fleeing for safety after the conflict began, shouting “He’s got a gun!”

More extremely graphic videos and photos have cropped up showing the club’s interior as the shooting broke out and party goers crouching in pools of blood trying to help the wounded.

Sonny Shilcock, a 20 year old tourist from Essex, was at the Blue Parrot with friends when the shooting broke out. “I was at the front of the club but heard about five very loud bangs and thought it was part of the DJ’s set until panic spread through crowd,” Shilcock told a British newspaper. “We’d carried on dancing until a wave of fear went through the place and everyone hit the deck. I was one of the last to get out and saw one man who was clearly dead covered in a lot of blood.”

BPM has released an official statement on the shooting this morning, saying: “We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence and we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement and government officials as they continue their investigation.”

Though the Yucatan peninsula has not historically been plagued by the same cartel-fueled violence as in other regions, the influx of foreign tourists during BPM festival attracts a pop up drug market during festival and break season. While there is no evidence yet to confirm it, several reports from the event have suggested the event was a cartel related shooting.

 

 

 

Categories: Music