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Barely six days of assuming office, the mayor of Chilpancingo, the capital of Mexico’s Guerrero state, Alejandro Arcos, has been reportedly killed by assassins.
Guerrero Governor, Evelyn Salgado, confirmed the murder on Monday expressing outrage amidst mourning over the loss.
The state’s attorney general has however opened an investigation into the killing.
In a statement shared via socials, Salgado said, “His loss mourns the entire Guerrero society and fills us with indignation."
Arcos’ brutal death came just three days after the city’s government secretary, Francisco Tapia, was also shot dead.
The murders have sparked widespread condemnation, with Senator Alejandro Moreno, the head of Mexico’s PRI political party, calling for the federal attorney general to take over the investigation, citing a growing state of lawlessness in Guerrero.
“They were young and honest officials who sought progress for their community,” Moreno wrote on social media.
Known as one of Mexico’s deadliest regions for public officials and journalists, the state had seen at least six political candidates killed ahead of Mexico’s June 2 elections.
In his brief time as mayor, Arcos had been leading relief efforts in response to severe flooding in Acapulco and surrounding areas caused by Hurricane John.
His death, alongside Tapia’s, has cast a shadow over Guerrero’s already precarious security situation.
