The assailants fled the scene after shooting three men and three women to death at an informal open-air market on Wednesday.

The shootings occurred around midday in the parking lot of a supermarket in an area far from the tourist areas. Government spokesman Jose Luis Mendez Rodriguez said the gunmen had exited from a vehicle and fired around two dozens shots into the crowd. They promptly left the scene following the shooting and fled into a nearby neighborhood known to be the site of frequent gang violence.

The killers left behind a scene of carnage in their wake, with witnesses crying and hugging each other amid the scattered bodies.

According to the Associated Press, the market had received threats and extortion demands in the past but had never experienced an attack such as this one.

Acapulco, once a glamorous tourist resort, has become one of the world's most dangerous cities thanks to increased gang violence. At least five people were brutally murdered over New Year's weekend alone, with several of the victims found beheaded.

blc/kms (AP, AFP)