That country in shock: Mayor killed in armed attack
A mayor in Mexico's Guerrero state has lost his life in an armed attack. Authorities announced that an investigation into the attack has been launched.
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Salvador Villalba, the Mayor of the town of Copala in Mexico's Guerrero state, was attacked by unidentified gunmen on the Acapulco-Pinotepa highway while traveling in his vehicle. Villalba was forced out of the vehicle and shot to death in front of his wife.
Villalba's wife, who was injured in the attack, was taken to the hospital.
In a statement from the Guerrero State Prosecutor's Office, the murder of the mayor was condemned, and it was reported that an investigation into the attack has been initiated.
According to reports in the local press, Villalba, who had reportedly been receiving threats for some time, was under the protection of the national guard.
Villalba was elected mayor of the town of Copala in the elections held on June 2.
The number of politicians killed in Mexico since September 2023 has risen to 34.