Gunmen Storm Tijuana Bar Late Night, Three Killed As Customers Dive For Cover

Tijuana, Mexico— Three men were shot dead inside a crowded bar in central Tijuana just after 11:30 p.m. Friday when at least two gunmen walked in and opened fire at close range, then ran out into the night as customers scrambled over tables to escape. Police found the bodies on the floor near the bar counter.

The attack happened at a bar on Calle Sexta, a strip that has seen three shootings this month. Witnesses said the gunmen arrived on a motorcycle, left it running outside, and entered without saying a word. One carried a 9mm pistol. The other had what looked like an assault rifle under a jacket. They fired for less than 20 seconds. Then silence. Then screaming.

Municipal police said the victims, all men between 25 and 40, died at the scene. Two had criminal records for drug distribution, according to a preliminary check by the state prosecutor’s office. The third was identified as a bar employee. A waitress suffered a graze wound to the shoulder. She was taken to Hospital General.

Tijuana is bleeding again. More than 1,500 homicides this year. Bars and after-hours clubs are pressure points. Extortion demands, drug sales, territorial fees. Owners pay or they get hit. A patrol officer who responded first said, “We see the pattern. They come, they shoot, they leave a message. Nobody talks.” He would not say if this bar had received threats.

The state prosecutor’s office said it recovered 24 shell casings inside. No arrests have been made. Security cameras from the bar were seized, but the owner claimed the hard drive had been wiped two days earlier for “maintenance.” Investigators did not buy it. One agent said privately, “That excuse shows up every time.”

Residents on the block said they heard the shots and locked their doors. One woman who lives above the bar said she saw two men in black hoodies sprint toward a waiting sedan. She called 911. The line was busy. She called again.

By 1 a.m., the street was sealed with yellow tape. Forensic workers moved in and out. A few regulars stood across the street, drinking from cans, watching. One of them knew one of the dead. He didn’t want to give his name.

The mayor’s office issued a short statement promising “increased surveillance” in nightlife zones. No plan was detailed. No extra officers were visible Saturday morning.

The bar remains closed. The bodies were taken to the state morgue. The investigation is open.