LIVE POST: At Least 11 People Killed In A Shooting at a Bar & Hotel in Celaya, Guanajuato

Please Note: This is a live post which is actively being written and updated, covering the initial reports on a breaking news story, these early reports can sometimes be inaccurate. 

At roughly 10:00 pm at night, on May 23, 2022, a group of armed men shot a number of people in the Valle Hermosa neighborhood of the city of Celaya, in the state of Guanajuato.  Palco Noticias is reporting that there were at least 15 armed men in the group that attacked but this number if unverified.  

Milenio newspaper is currently reporting 11 victims were killed in the attack, with an undetermined number of additional victims who are currently seriously injured and at risk of dying while they receive medical treatment. Some less established news outlets like Codigo News are currently claiming there are 14 victims.

The victims of the shooting were said to be in or near an establishment located on Azalea Street which functions as both a bar and hotel, according to Milenio. El Universal newspaper is currently reporting that the establishment is called Gala. 

Meanwhile, Informativo Agora is currently reporting that there were multiple attacks and that the locations (two bars, one hotel) were all targeted by the gunmen. 

The armed men allegedly opened fire on the establishment and neighbors called the emergency phone line to report the sound of gunshots. The armed men then allegedly threw a number of molotov cocktails in order to set the business(es) on fire. 

Municipal police and state police officers as well as soldiers from the Army (SEDENA) and the National Guard were sent to respond to the scene. At the reported location, they found a number of people outside the buildings, lying on the ground having suffered gunshot injuries. 

Firefighters were also called to attend to the scene after the fire was reported.

The Location of Hotel Gala

Hotel Gala is located at 504 Azalea Street, with the most recent Google street view images, taken in July 2018, showing it as a yellow building with a sun-faded sign reading “Hotel Gala. Hot Water, Rooms with TV, Parking” and the hotel’s telephone number. In these street view photos, a bar painted white and blue can be seen next door. In these images the bar has no sign bearing any name.