According to witnesses, she and others were preparing for Santa Muerte’s annual celebration when the violence erupted, claiming her life and that of two others—a woman and a young boy.
The brutal assault left eight others, including two children, wounded, though their conditions remain unknown.
The Mystery of Santa Muerte
Santa Muerte appears as a female skeletal figure dressed in a long robe, usually wielding a scythe and a globe.
The “saint” is not recognized by the Catholic Church, yet she holds a powerful appeal to those seeking her aid for various needs. She is known as the protector against harm. And is believed to exact vengeance, against one’s enemies.
Many even believe Santa Muerte safeguards drug shipments.
In Mexico, Central America, and the United States, around 29 million followers worship this deity, building shrines and celebrating her with offerings, especially during Day of the Dead festivities.
American anthropologists first documented the modern Santa Muerte devotion in the 1940s. The worship became more public in 2001 when Enriqueta Romero founded a major shrine in Mexico City.
