Mexico Resort Camera Captures Gunshots, Screams as Man Shoots Canadians

Webcam footage has captured the panic of a fatal shooting at an upmarket hotel on Mexico's Caribbean coast

Police in Quintana Roo state said that two Canadians died of gunshot wounds after an argument at the Hotel Xcaret resort on the Riviera Maya near Cancun turned violent on Friday, Reuters reported.

Authorities said those killed in the incident had criminal records linked to drug trafficking, citing information from Canadian law enforcement.

Video from a camera perched above the resort between Playa del Carmen and Tulum captured the terrifying moments of the incident at around 2.30 p.m. local time, although the actual shooting was not on film.

In the footage, shots can be heard ringing out which are followed by screams.

According to images and accounts of the incident posted on social media, the shooting appeared to have taken place in a poolside dining area.

After authorities arrived at the hotel, three victims were taken to the hospital. One died in the ambulance, the other in the hospital, Quintana Roo prosecutor Óscar Montes de Oca said.

"It was a direct and planned attack against these subjects with a fairly extensive criminal history," de Oca said, according to local media.

Quintana Roo's head of public security, Lucio Hernandez, posted on Twitter images of the alleged shooter who remains at large.

The pictures showed a man in a gray tracksuit and black face mask holding a gun in front of green landscaping.

Authorities are coordinating "a strong operation for his capture," Hernandez tweeted: "Any information leading to his prompt arrest will be greatly appreciated."

The Canadian government said it was in contact with Mexican authorities over the incident but could not provide more details due to privacy considerations, Reuters reported.

In a statement, the Xcaret group tweeted it "deeply regrets" the incident and was "providing support to those affected" as well as helping with police inquiries, and would not comment further.

It is the latest in a number of violent incidents in Cancun resorts over the last few months in a region popular with tourists but at the center of drug cartel battles.

In November, at least 10 gunmen stormed a beach at a luxury hotel near Cancún and executed two suspected drug gang members.

The previous month, a woman from San Jose, California, and a German woman were killed in a crossfire of a drug dealers' shootout in Tulum, located around 80 miles from Cancun.