Crisis In Paradise: Two Canadians Dead At Ritzy Mexican Beach Resort After Gunfire

Two Canadians were shot dead by an unknown gunman at a ritzy resort near Cancun, the latest attack at Mexican beach resorts plagued with organized crime violence.  

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon between Cancun and Tulum, in a resort town called Playa del Carmen. An unknown gunman entered the five-star Xcaret Hotel in a gray sweatsuit by the pool area.

The secretary of security in Quintana Roo state, Lucio Hernández Gutiérrez, tweeted that gunfire erupted after an “argument between hotel guests.” The gunman killed two Canadian and injured a third. He said the two deceased had criminal records. 

A video surfaced on Twitter of the bloody aftermath. Unidentified guests could be heard saying, “he’s still breathing.” The video is graphic and shows the two Canadians bleeding out on the pool deck floor. 

Balacera dentro del hotel Xcaret , hieren a dos y muere un canadiense ! Quintana Roo está peor que nunca 🥺 pic.twitter.com/sMINT820Hf

— SoyVenga (@elvenga75) January 21, 2022

Another video, CCTV video overlooking the resort, captured the gunfire on audio, with at least five shots that could be heard. 

Video showing the moment in which two Canadian tourists were killed and another injured after a shooting occurred in the resort Xcaret, Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo. pic.twitter.com/YPyLqUYsuR

— All Source News (@All_Source_News) January 22, 2022

Security forces swarmed the hotel after the incident, but the suspect remains at large. 

Friday’s shooting followed a series of violent incidents at beach resorts from Cancun to Tulum. 

As we’ve previously noted, multiple cartels are battling over who controls the drug trade to tourists. 

Mexico has been left with no other choice but to deploy 1,500 National Guard members to quell the violence in resort areas.

As early April 2021, readers may recall, we reported “”Crisis In Paradise” – Mexican Tourist Mecca Descends Into Chaos As Cartels Wage War During Spring Break,” documenting the rapid deterioration in the resort areas as cartels waged war on one another with tourists in the crossfire. 

Here’s more of our reporting on the tropical warzone unfolding in resort areas. 

Tropical Warzone: Gunmen On Jet Skis Open Fire At Cancun Beach Resort
Cancun Chaos Leaves Two Dead As Cartel Beach Gun Battle Erupts
Mexican Tourist Mecca Is Spiraling Out Of Control As Cartels Wage War
Mexican National Guard Deploys 1,500 Troops To Cancun Amid Cartel Chaos

If we had any travel advice, it’s probably not worth visiting Mexico for cheap cervezas and mouthwatering ceviche as increasing cartel activity is becoming more prevalent at luxurious resorts.