A violent shooting in Mexico has left two Americans dead, including one father, and a teenager critically injured. The incident took place near Las Palmas on Friday, with the victims traveling in an SUV bearing Illinois license plates. The deceased were identified as Vicente Peña Rodríguez and Antonio Fernández Rodríguez, both from Chicago, while local resident Jorge Eduardo Vargas Aguirre also lost his life.
According to the Durango Attorney General’s Office, Peña Rodríguez’s 14-year-old son, who was accompanying him, was severely injured. He is currently in a medically induced coma. Family members say the trip, initially planned as a birthday celebration, has turned into a heartbreaking tragedy.
Three of the four family members were killed, and one was critically injured in a shooting in Durango, Mexico, last week. Of the four shot, three were Americans and one was a local resident. pic.twitter.com/iHM6MoUCcG
— Geopolitical Kid (@Geopoliticalkid) January 1, 2025
“My family is gone — it’s a massacre,” said Vicente Peña, the grandfather of the injured teen. He described how his son and other family members were shot multiple times during the attack. Peña revealed the disturbing details of the assault, noting that his son was shot in the head, with another family member also suffering gunshot wounds.
Despite the severity of the teen’s condition, efforts to bring him back to the U.S. for further treatment have been complicated by medical concerns. “They won’t let him go because his condition is too fragile,” said Julia Contreras, an advocate working with the family.
Authorities are still investigating the motives behind the attack, which has raised concerns about safety for American tourists in the region.
The family is now focused on supporting the injured teen while grappling with the loss of loved ones.
The U.S. government has yet to comment on the situation, but there are growing calls for greater security measures for Americans traveling in Mexico.
