Playa del Carmen — A person was shot dead outside a chicken shop is presumed to be the owner of the establishment, threatened by extortionists demanding protection money.
The killing, at 4:20 p.m. on Avenida Xelha between Calle Nicaragua and Costa Rica, occurred when a four shots were fired from a passing van neighbors said. Others said a hitman arrived and left on a bicycle.
Playa del Carmen’s murder rate has skyrocketed in recent years, surging most dramatically since 2018, a year after Cancun saw a similarly steep rise in homicides.
The state police announced that detectives are conducting inquiries. The slaying occurs one day after the Secretary of Public Security of Quintana Roo, Jesús Alberto Capella, announced on social networks the implementation of a special operation in Playa del Carmen precisely to combat mafia-style shakedowns.