Police: 5 killed in shooting at nightclub at Mexican resort
By GABRIEL ALCOCER, Associated Press
Jan 16, 2017 8:22 AM CST

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — A gunman killed at least five people and wounded more than a dozen others Monday at a nightclub in the Caribbean coast resort of Playa del Carmen, police said.

The shooting occurred in the early morning hours outside the Blue Parrot nightclub, which was hosting an event that was part of the BPM electronic music festival.

Rodolfo Del Angel, director of police in the state of Quintana Roo, where Playa del Carmen is located, confirmed five people were dead and said 15 were injured.

Del Angel told the Milenio TV station that he shooting was the result of "a disagreement between people inside" the nightclub and said security guards had come under fire when they tried to contain the dispute.

The BPM Festival posted a statement saying four people had been killed and 12 injured in an attack that involved "a lone shooter."

BPM wrote that "the violence began on 12th street in front of the club and three members of the BPM security team were among those whose lives were lost while trying to protect patrons inside the venue."

The Blue Parrot is one of the venues at the 10-day festival in Playa del Carmen, a tourist destination just south of the resort of Cancun that has largely been spared the violence that has hit other parts of Mexico.

Neither U.S. nor Canadian officials could immediately confirm if any of their citizens were among the victims in the shooting.