7 Dead, 13 Injured in Guatemala City Funeral Gang Attack

At least seven people were killed and 13 wounded in a violent armed attack during a funeral in Guatemala City, linked to a turf war between rival gangs Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). The attackers, who arrived on motorcycles, stormed the funeral home and opened fire on the family and companions of the deceased, who had been killed in a separate gang-related incident days earlier. Authorities had identified the wake as a 'high-risk' event due to the deceased's gang affiliations, but police officers assigned to monitor the funeral reportedly abandoned their posts before the attack, prompting an internal investigation. The assailants fled the scene immediately, and forensic teams recovered the bodies as police cordoned off the area for investigation. Guatemala's homicide rate remains high at 16.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024, though it has decreased from nearly 30 in 2014, with half of violent crimes attributed to drug cartels and gang conflicts. Interior Minister Francisco Jimenez condemned the police lapse and emphasized the ongoing challenge Guatemala faces with organized crime and gang violence.