A United States consular official was shot at by a gunman on Friday in Mexico’s Guadalajara city, Reuters reported. A surveillance video of the attack has been doing rounds on social media. It shows the gunman waiting for the official’s car to pull up at a car parking garage, before the attacker shoots the man and runs away.
The official, who was shot in the chest, is now in stable condition. The US Embassy in Mexico City refused to reveal the identity of the official or his details about his health citing “privacy reasons”, reported AP. According to The Guardian, the victim is 31-year-old Christopher Nolan Ashcraft who was stationed in Guadalajara from June 2015. Drug Enforcement Administration credentials in his name were found on him.
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has offered a $20,000 reward for any information on the identity of the shooter. “The safety and security of our employees overseas is among our highest priorities,” said an embassy spokesperson. The embassy is working closely with Mexican law enforcement, the spokesperson added. The US department also issued a travel warning to American citizens for Jalisco, the state where Guadalajara is located.
Guadalajara houses one of the country’s most powerful drug cartels, Jalisco New Generation Cartel. In recent years, they have been indulging in violence and targeting Mexican soldiers and police.
In 2014, a Mexican gang leader was sentenced to life for shooting a US consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another employee. In May 2015, gunmen reportedly belonging to JNG cartel shot down an army helicopter in Jalisco. Six military personnel lost their lives in the attack.
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