Drunken priest shoots mayor dead at religious bash

MEXICO CITY – A Catholic priest shot to death the mayor of a town in western Mexico early on Wednesday after the pair got drunk and began punching each other during a religious festival, state officials said.

After exchanging blows, the priest whipped out a 9mm pistol and fired four bullets into Lorenzo Ruiz, mayor of Chalpatlahuac, an indigenous town nestled in mountains 138 miles west of the Guerrero state capital of Chilpancingo, authorities said. “It seems they were arguing, these two men.They were at a get-together, they had words and the priest shot the mayor.They were apparently both in a state of drunkenness,” said Guerrero state spokesman Jesus Nava.Local newspapers said the priest, whom they identified as Lorenzo Cuellar, was arrested after he also shot the mayor’s son, injuring him.The priest was in Chalpatlahuac to celebrate a local religious festival which started on Tuesday evening and lasted into Wednesday morning.Guerrero is one of the poorest and most violent states in Mexico.- Nampa-Reuters”It seems they were arguing, these two men.They were at a get-together, they had words and the priest shot the mayor.They were apparently both in a state of drunkenness,” said Guerrero state spokesman Jesus Nava.Local newspapers said the priest, whom they identified as Lorenzo Cuellar, was arrested after he also shot the mayor’s son, injuring him.The priest was in Chalpatlahuac to celebrate a local religious festival which started on Tuesday evening and lasted into Wednesday morning.Guerrero is one of the poorest and most violent states in Mexico.- Nampa-Reuters