They Came as Mariachis, Then Started Shooting

In a meeting of one of Mexico's most beloved traditions and one of its most pervasive epidemics, gunmen dressed as mariachis shot up a thriving entertainment district of Mexico City on Friday night, killing five and injuring at least eight. In what the Los Angeles Times calls an "audacious and apparently well-planned hit," five men arrived on motorcycles at the Plaza Garibaldi and opened fire as several mariachi bands played on the eve of the country's independence celebrations, then sped off as they arrived. It's unclear whether the shooting was motivated by gang violence, but the Times notes that a district infested with drugs and gangs lies about a mile away. CNN notes that Mexico City's mariachi scene traces its roots to a bar in Plaza Garibaldi. No arrests have been made. (More Mexico City stories.)