Melissa Silva, Mother of Four, Cause of Death
A Chicago-area mother of four and her gravely injured sister were among the 19 persons slain in a mass shooting in a secret cockfight in Mexico’s western state of Michoacan on Sunday.
Melissa Silva and her 16-year-old sister Arleth Silva were vacationing in Michoacan at the time of the attack, according to family members.
Mother-of-four Melissa Silva, a Warrenville resident with the family, was tragically shot, and her daughter Arleth Silva, was hit by multiple bullets.
Three other people were shot and the youngster is in serious condition at a Mexican hospital
The snack food company’s stolen vehicle was used as a cover for the shooter’s alleged premeditated attack, according to prosecutors.
Several armed people in camouflage gear exited a snack food company truck as it arrived at the scene, according to a statement from prosecutors.
An exterior bus was deployed as a “blockade” to prevent victims from fleeing or asking for help, according to reports.
Michoacan has been the site of a long-running turf struggle between local gangs and the Jalisco cartel, which operates in the adjacent state of Jalisco, for years.
Weapons used in combat have included bomb-dropping drones, land mines and home-built armoured vehicles (ATVs).
Cockfighting, despite the fact that it is illegal in many locations, continues to be a popular sport in some parts of Mexico, but the battles are typically done in secret.
