New details arise regarding BPM Festival shooting, including ban from Playa del Carmen

Following the tragic shootings during this past BPM Festival, Mexican state officials have announced that the event is now banned from Playa del Carmen. The city’s Mayor of Solidarity Cristina Torres Gómez stated that there will be strict regulations implemented to prevent any similar occurrences in the future.

For instance, Gómez said that night activities will now be closely monitored in order to preserve Playa del Carmen’s tourist-friendly environment. According to Gómez, “We want these types of events to go. We won’t allow one more.” As a result, she had also revealed that the Arena Festival, which was set to take place in February, had been banned as well.

Recently, several news sources have revealed the names of the deceased and further details regarding the suspect. The victims of the shooting have been identified to be Kirk Wilson of Toronto, Daniel Pessina of Italy, Geovanni Francisco Ruiz Murillo of Mexico, and Rafael Antonio Peñalosa Vega of Mexico.

Wilson, Pessina, and Murillo were all confirmed dead on site while Vega passed away minutes after entering a local, state-run hospital. In addition, sources unveiled that Alejandra Margarita Villanueva Ibarra of the United States was another victim who died in a stampede after the gun shots at the club commenced.

According to the Quintana Roo Prosecutor’s office, the altercation occurred at 2:28 a.m. on Monday, January 16^th, when an attendee was prevented from entering the bar for carrying a weapon. State officials also confirmed that the suspect had left some items behind such as a Taurus .38 revolver and shell casings from other handguns.

Reinforcing the prevention of violence within the area, Quintana Roo governor Carlos Joaquin stated, “We will implement decisive actions to avoid aggressions of any kind in this state that is the window of Mexico and the pride of all Mexicans. Measures will be taken to maintain the order and security in all of our tourist destinations.” He also added, “All crimes are reprehensible, but certainly, the most are those that have consequences for innocent people.”

Photo Credit: thebpmfestival.com