Gunman at large after wounding U.S. consular official in Mexico
Mexican authorities are searching for a gunman who shot and wounded a U.S. consular official in the western city of Guadalajara.
Surveillance video of Friday’s attack shows the man trailing the American official into a city parking lot, then firing at him after he got into his vehicle.
The official, who has not been publicly identified, was shot in the chest and is in stable condition, according to a statement from the Mexican attorney general’s office.
The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the suspect, according to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.
Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city, is considered largely safe and is not associated with the levels of drug cartel violence that have plagued other parts of the country.
But the U.S. State Department has issued travel warnings for the city and other parts of the state of Jalisco because it borders Michoacan and Zacatecas, states that have seen high levels of insecurity.
Although the video of the attack suggests that the shooter deliberately targeted the victim, previous attacks on U.S. officials in Mexico have turned out to be mistakes.
In 2010, a U.S. consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another employee were shot and killed in Juarez as they left a children’s birthday party. The group was riding in a white SUV that was similar to a vehicle belonging to members of a local drug cartel.
A Mexican gang leader was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the slayings, which he and others claimed were a case of mistaken identity.
Twitter: @katelinthicum
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
