Mexico Mormon massacre: Suspect in custody not connected to the drug cartel shooting, authorities say
Mexican authorities have confirmed that the suspect in custody related to the massacre of the Mormon LeBaron family in Mexico was unrelated to the shooting. They had earlier arrested a heavily armed man near the crime scene with two bound victims in his vehicle. They had said that they were investigating the situation. Nine Americans were killed in the brutal shooting, including three women and six children.
According to CBS News, Mexican public security official Alfonso Durazo said that the preliminary investigation has shown that the man arrested by the Sonora authorities is not connected to the Mormon family murders. The man had been arrested with assault rifles in his car, multiple rounds of ammunition and magazines and two people bound and gagged in his vehicle.
According to Alex LeBaron's statement to CNN, the cars were attacked "separately but simultaneously by two different groups of the same cartel," adding, "Most likely by accident, mistaken for their rivals." While Mexican authorities have also said that it was a case of misidentification, sources have told the news outlet that it was a premeditated hit.
The family was attacked while traveling in three SUVs, filled with women and children, in broad daylight. The children who survived were also injured and some of them were airlifted to Arizona for medical attention. Children as young as 8 months old sustained wounds in the rounds that were fired by the attackers, who attacked the second car just 10 miles down the road. Children sustained gunshot wounds to the jaw, chest, foot, and back.
The United States President Donald Trump has also extended his help to Mexico to fight the cartels. However, his offer was politely declined by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López, who did say that he would reach out to Trump if needed help. The FBI as well has said that it has offered to help the Mexican authorities in the investigation.