A Groom Was Shot In Front Of His Wife At Their Wedding & Police Say It Was A Terrible Mixup
The gunman went to the wrong church.
Newlyweds leaving a church.
Gunfire ruined a newlywed couple's wedding day in Mexico, and police say the groom was shot in a horrible case of mistaken identity.
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Marco Antonio Rosales Contreras was shot several times in Caborca, in the Mexican state of Sonora, on October 22, as he was leaving the Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria church with his new bride, local Mexican news outlet El Universal reports.
Witnesses told El Univeral that a single armed man approached 32-year-old Contreras and shot him right next to his new wife. The groom's sister, 23-year-old Michelle Adriana Rosales Contreras, was apparently also injured when she a bullet hit her in the back.
It is stated that wedding guests and family members attempted to give the two injured siblings CPR while waiting for paramedics to arrive, while keeping the blood-splattered bride, who reportedly had a panic attack after the gunshots, at bay.
Still according to the outlet, the groom died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, but his sister survived the attack and was considered to be in a stable state of health the following day.
According to a press release by Attorney General of the state of Sonora Claudia Indira Contreras Córdova, the newlywed was shot in the head, chest and arm. Córdova affirms the shooting was direct and targeted.
Authorities believe the shooting could have been a case of mistaken identity, and the gunman may have targeted the wrong person.
\u201cDe ser el d\u00eda m\u00e1s feliz de su vida pas\u00f3 a ser el m\u00e1s tr\u00e1gico\ud83e\udd7a. As\u00ed termin\u00f3 el vestido de una novia luego de que asesinaran a su reci\u00e9n esposo afuera de una iglesia en #Caborca. \u00a1Incre\u00edble y lamentable!\u201d— Rosa Lilia Torres- Noticias (@Rosa Lilia Torres- Noticias) 1666503246
"Investigations indicate that the attack against Marco Antonio was directed towards another individual who was also getting married at the same time in a different nearby city," said a translated statement provided by the prosecutor's office.
In other words, it's suspected that the gunman went to the wrong church for the wrong wedding.
"While we do not rule out that it might have been the wrong or a mistaken person, I want to clarify that the attack was direct, as it was starting to be questioned; had it not been a direct attack, believe me, there would have been many more victims," said the attorney general Claudia Indira Contreras Córdova during the press conference.
Even though it is suspected to be a case of mistaken identity, police have not confirmed the motive for the shooting and are allegedly still investigating. As of Friday, no suspect has been named in connection to the attack. The investigation is ongoing with a combination of federal, state and municipal authorities working on the case.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.