A sad, shameful story coming from San Luis Potosí, Mexico as a clash between supporters of Ascenso MX (Mexican second division) sides Atlético San Luis and Necaxa ended in a hail of bullets that has left 16 people injured with two of them in critical condition.
The game ended in a 1-0 victory for visiting Necaxa, but a confrontation outside the Alfonso Lastras Ramírez Stadium between rival supporters got heated as reports indicate that the San Luis fans went after the Necaxa fans as they tried to get into a bus.
Si hubo balazos en el @AtleticoSLfc VS @ClubNecaxa aficionados Rayos muestran los casquillo @AscensoMX @Televisaslp pic.twitter.com/4UurWb8D4J
— Paco Celaya (@PacoCelayaBear) January 31, 2016
It was then that gunshots rang out, and were audible enough to have some fans that were still hanging around the stadium to run into the pitch for safety. Reports say that that the gunfire coming from the San Luis supporters, as well as rocks, were directed at the Necaxa fans’ bus as they pelted the vehicle trying to impede its movement away from the stadium.
Violencia y balazos tras el San Luis vs Necaxa #VIDEO https://t.co/vnxB3BmvXG pic.twitter.com/7JeFQqh4VS
— Silbatazo.mx (@SilbatazoMX) January 31, 2016
There are videos and photos that show two Necaxa fans that are being attended by medical staff as they look to be clutching their abdomens, possibly covering up a gunshot wound. Other photos show the fans, covered in blood, as they were being attended at a local hospital.
From this video you can hear clear gunshots at the 52 second mark, as fans that are walking somewhere in the vicinity of the Alfonso Lastras joke about the gunshots that rang out on the other side of the stadium.
Both clubs have released statements denouncing the violence that occurred, and San Luis mentioned in their statement that they would launch an investigation to further look into the incident. San Luis also made it known that they followed all the safety protocols set by regulation as they had both private security and governmental authorities at the scene.
Mexican soccer officials will need to look at his unfortunate incident and really need to react accordingly, as violence of this magnitude cannot be tolerated. That “fan” that starting shooting could have walked into the stadium with the weapon on them and people would have been none the wiser. So this is surely a wake up call for Mexican soccer to step up their security measures to protect their fans from this kind of violence.
