MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least five people, including foreigners, were killed and 15 were wounded early on Monday, when a gunman opened fire at a nightclub in Mexico’s Playa del Carmen resort during the BPM electronic music festival.

Police officers stand outside the Blue Parrot nightclub after a gunman opened fire early on Monday outside the venue, killing several people and injuring others during a BPM electronic music festival, according to a statement of the organizers, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, January 16, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer

Quintana Roo State Attorney General Miguel Angel Pech said a Canadian, an Italian and a Mexican were among the dead, while the U.S. embassy in Mexico said authorities had confirmed the death of an American. The nationality of the other victim was still unclear.

Pech had earlier said a second Canadian and a Colombian had been killed in the attack. One of the dead died in the stampede to leave the club, he added.

The gunman escaped and was still at large, Pech said, adding that the incident was not being investigated as an act of terrorism.

The Canadian government confirmed one citizen had died and said it was investigating reports of the death of a second.

Pech said the armed man entered the Blue Parrot nightclub around 3 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Monday, during the closing events of the festival. An attempt to stop him sparked a gunfight that drew in security staff.

The shooting spells a major blow for Mexico’s tourism industry, which has been one of the few bright spots in the economy, thanks to a weak peso exchange rate.

Tourists are generally shielded from the drug violence that has ripped Mexico apart over the last decade, killing well over 100,000 people since 2007.

Pech said seven of the 15 injured were still in the hospital. One was in grave condition, the state government said in a statement. Four people were arrested on suspicion of involvement.

Two BPM security workers were among the dead, Pech said, but in a statement, festival authorities said three of their security team had been killed. BPM blamed a lone individual for the shooting.

Quintana Roo and the surrounding Yucatan peninsula have traditionally been less violent than other parts of Mexico, with relatively few murders.

However, with many foreign tourists and a vibrant night life scene, there has long been an important local drug market in and around Playa Del Carmen, which is just south of the popular resort of Cancun.

REGIONAL CHAOS

The organizer of an electronic music event near Playa Del Carmen told Reuters that armed men who claimed to be part of a drug cartel turned up recently at one of his parties, demanding access to sell drugs.

The event’s security team decided to let them enter so as to avoid conflict, the organizer said, adding that cells from all the major Mexican cartels were now operating in Quintana Roo, a wealthy region full of tourists.

The organizer said the situation in Quintana Roo deteriorated after the political party controlling the state government was forced out in local elections last year, a shift that can spark violence as criminal groups struggle to realign allegiances with the incoming politicians.

“They’re all fighting for control of the region,” said the organizer, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals. “This is an aggression toward any promoter of electronic music in Mexico. It’s a wound for the entire community.”

He added that he thought BPM would have to end, and feared for his own events in the region.

PANIC ON THE STREETS

Videos purportedly shot at the scene shown on television and social media show dancers ducking for cover and running out on the streets to safety.

A man looks through a fence of the Blue Parrot nightclub after a gunman opened fire early Monday outside the venue, killing several people and injuring others during a BPM electronic music festival, according to a statement of the organizers, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico January 16, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer

“This is a very, very sad situation. Tryna get my head around it still. Thoughts and condolences to all affected,” Scottish DJ Jackmaster, who was performing at BPM, said on social network Twitter.

The BPM festival, which was entering its 10th year, has grown to be one of the world’s biggest electronic music events, with top DJs flying in every January to play the clubs of Playa del Carmen along Mexico’s Caribbean coast.

In recent years, a growing number of DJs and fans of electronic music have flocked to the beautiful, balmy region to escape the frigid European and North American winters.</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "All of a sudden we heard four to five very clear shots" - Valerie Lee, witness

A gunman has killed five people at a club hosting an electronic music festival in the Mexican resort of Playa del Carmen, in Quintana Roo state.

Among those killed are two Canadians, an Italian and a Colombian citizen, Quintana Roo Attorney-General Miguel Angel Pech said.

The fifth victim was a woman who died in the stampede which followed the shooting, he said.

The shooting happened at the Blue Parrot club hosting the BPM festival.

'Lone shooter'

BPM festival officials had earlier released a statement on Facebook saying that "a lone shooter" outside the Blue Parrot nightclub had shot dead four people.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Blue Parrot club was one of the venues hosting the BPM music festival

Image copyright AFP Image caption The Blue Parrot club is near the beach in Playa del Carmen

They said three of those killed were members of the festival's security team "whose lives were lost while trying to protect patrons inside the venue".

Local police chief Rodolfo del Angel later put the number of dead at five and those injured at 15.

He told Milenio TV [in Spanish] that the shooting was triggered "by a disagreement between individuals inside the club".

'Shots mistaken for fireworks'

The festival, which is in its 10th year, is popular with foreign tourists, especially from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Police were searching the beach outside the club

Valerie Lee, US editor of electronic dance and clubbing magazine Mixmag, was at the Blue Parrot when the shooting happened.

She told BBC Newsbeat that a security guard at first told her and her friends not to worry, that the sound was that of fireworks outside.

But when other people said they had seen a gunman, Ms Lee ran to a backstage exit and left the club.

Sidney Charles tweeted that he was DJing at the time of the shooting at the Blue Parrot.

Image copyright Twitter

Shootings in Mexican clubs are not unusual and are often linked to gang violence, but the venues targeted are normally those frequented by gang members rather than foreign tourists.</s>Four people were killed and twelve more injured when a gunman opened fire Monday morning during a music festival in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, the event’s organizers stated on Facebook.

“It is with great sadness to share that police have confirmed reports of a lone shooter outside the Blue Parrot nightclub in Playa Del Carmen earlier today,” a post on The BPM Festival’s Facebook page read.

The shooting occurred in front of the Blue Parrot nightclub, which was hosting an event that was part of the music festival, according to the post.

Three members of the BPM security team were among the four people killed in the shooting, which also left 12 injured, according to the post.

Video posted to YouTube shows panicked partygoers running outside the nightclub.

“We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence and we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement and government officials as they continue their investigation,” The BPM Festival’s Facebook post read.

One of the DJs who was performing at the Blue Parrot tweeted following the shooting.</s>CANCUN, Mexico — A Mexican police officer said Monday a gunman has killed at least five people and wounded nine others at a nightclub in the Caribbean coast resort of Playa del Carmen.

The officer who gave the information spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to give details about an ongoing investigation.

The shooting occurred outside the Blue Parrot nightclub, which was hosting an event that was part of the BPM electronic music festival. The BPM Festival posted a statement saying four people had been killed and 12 injured. The statement said the attack involved “a lone shooter.”

BPM wrote that “the violence began on 12th street in front of the club and three members of the BPM security team were among those whose lives were lost while trying to protect patrons inside the venue.”

The Blue Parrot is one of the venues at the 10-day festival in Playa del Carmen, a tourist destination that has largely been spared the violence that has hit other parts of Mexico.</s>CANCUN, Mexico — Two Canadians are among five people killed today in a shooting attack at an electronic music festival in Mexico’s Caribbean coast resort of Playa del Carmen.

The attorney general of Quintana Roo state said that several of the dead appear to have been part of the security detail at the 10-day BPM electronic music festival.

Miguel Angel Pech said the shooting occurred about 2:30 a.m. at the Blue Parrot nightclub, one of the BPM Festival’s venues in Playa del Carmen, just south of Cancun.

Pech said a lone gunman apparently entered the nightclub and began to exchange fire with another person inside. Festival security personnel tried to stop the shooting and came under fire.

Pech said it was not any kind of terrorist attack.

But the shooting apparently caused a rush of people heading for the exits at the beach-side club, and the lone female victim was apparently killed during the stampede.

Pech said 15 people were injured, one seriously. He said five of the injured had been treated for less serious injuries at local hospitals and released.

He said three people had been detained nearby, but it was unclear if they had been involved in the shooting.

Rodolfo Del Angel, director of police in the state of Quintana Roo, told the Milenio TV station that the shooting was the result of “a disagreement between people inside” the nightclub and said security guards had come under fire when they tried to contain the dispute.

The BPM Festival posted a statement saying four people had been killed and 12 injured in an attack that involved “a lone shooter.”

BPM wrote that “the violence began on 12th street in front of the club and three members of the BPM security team were among those whose lives were lost while trying to protect patrons inside the venue.”

Playa del Carmen has largely been spared the violence that has hit other parts of Mexico.</s>A lone shooter opened fire outside a nightclub in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, killing four people during the final night of the BPM Festival.</s>At least five people were killed and nine others injured early Monday when a gunman opened fire outside the Blue Parrot nightclub in Mexico’s Playa del Carmen resort, during the BPM electronic music festival.

Initial reports said four people were killed during the shooting; however, a Mexican police officer confirmed to the Associated Press a fifth person was killed outside the nightclub, which was hosting an event that was part of the BPM electronic music festival.

READ MORE: No injuries after fire breaks out in Mexican resort popular among Canadians

The officer who gave the information spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to give details about an ongoing investigation.

The BPM Festival posted a statement saying four people had been killed and 12 injured.

The statement said the attack involved “a lone shooter.”

“We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence and we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement and government officials as they continue their investigation,” BPM said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

Witnesses described the scene as “chaotic” on Twitter.

“Apparently there was a shooting at Blue Parrot. We were in the DJ booth at the time. It was total chaos,” said electronic artist Dubfire on Twitter following the shooting.

The Blue Parrot is one of the venues at the 10-day festival in Playa del Carmen, a tourist destination that has largely been spared the violence that has hit other parts of Mexico.

The nationalities of those killed is not yet clear. Global News has reached out to foreign affairs for comment regarding whether any Canadians were harmed during the shooting.</s>A shooting attack at an electronic music festival in Mexico's Caribbean coast resort of Playa del Carmen overnight left five people dead, including two Canadians, an Italian and a Colombian, authorities said.

The attorney general of Quintana Roo state said that four of the dead appear to have been part of the security detail at the 10-day BPM electronic music festival.

Miguel Angel Pech said the shooting occurred about 2:30 am (10pm Monday NZT) at the Blue Parrot nightclub, one of the BPM Festival's venues in Playa del Carmen, just south of Cancun.

Pech said a lone gunman apparently entered the nightclub and began to exchange fire with another person inside. Festival security personnel tried to stop the shooting and came under fire.

He said 20 bullet casings from three different pistols had been found at the scene, and said it was unclear if the security detail had been armed or fired any of the weapons.

The shooting apparently caused a rush of people heading for the exits at the beach-side club, and the lone female victim was apparently killed during the stampede.

Pech said 15 people were injured, included one Mexican woman who was seriously injured. He said five of the injured —including two US citizens and one Canadian —had been treated for less serious injuries at local hospitals and released.

He said three people had been detained nearby, but it was unclear if they had been involved in the shooting.

Rodolfo Del Angel, director of police in the state of Quintana Roo, told the Milenio TV station that he shooting was the result of "a disagreement between people inside" the nightclub and said security guards had come under fire when they tried to contain the dispute.

The BPM Festival posted a statement saying four people had been killed and 12 injured in an attack that involved "a lone shooter."

BPM wrote that "the violence began on 12th street in front of the club and three members of the BPM security team were among those whose lives were lost while trying to protect patrons inside the venue."

Canadian officials could not immediately confirm if any of their citizens were among the victims in the shooting.</s>At least five people are dead and more than 15 wounded after a shooting early this morning at a Playa del Carmen nightclub.

Early reports say a lone shooter opened fire at about 2:00am at the Blue Parrot during the final night of the BPM electronic music festival.

The club was packed, according to one witness with the “music in full swing” when shots were heard.

Video footage published on social media shows a chaotic scene outside the club as people fled.

“We have five dead, another in serious condition and various wounded . . . .” said Mayor Cristina Torre in an interview this morning.

She said there were two versions of what happened: one was that a person did not want to pay the cover charge to enter the bar and began shooting. The second was that the gunfire arose from a confrontation.

A police spokesman said there was a disagreement among some people inside the club and the shooting began when security guards tried to contain the dispute, the Associated Press reported. Four people were said to have been arrested.

BPM Festival organizers said in a statement on their Facebook page that a lone shooter was responsible.

“It is with great sadness to share that police have confirmed reports of a lone shooter outside the Blue Parrot nightclub in Playa Del Carmen earlier today, which resulted in four fatalities and twelve injured. The violence began on 12th street in front of the club and three members of the BPM security team were among those whose lives were lost while trying to protect patrons inside the venue.

“The BPM Festival has been working closely with the local authorities . . . throughout the festival to ensure public safety and security for all visitors. We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence and we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement and government officials as they continue their investigation.”

A Scottish DJ posted a warning on Twitter just after 2:00am, urging people to stay in their hotel rooms. “Someone has come into the club in Playa del Carmen and opened fire. Four to five dead and many wounded.”

A little later he tweeted: “This is a very sad situation. Trying to get my head around it still. Thoughts and condolence to all affected.”

The BPM Festival is a 10-day gathering of music industry professionals that was created in 2008. Held annually in Playa del Carmen, it draws as many as 70,000 people, according to information published on Wikipedia. BPM stands for “bartenders, promoters, musicians.”

Stories from our archives that you might enjoy</s>CANCUN, Mexico -- Two Canadians were among at least five people killed Monday in a shooting attack at an electronic music festival in Mexico's Caribbean coast resort of Playa del Carmen, Mexican authorities said.

And Canadian government officials added that at least two other Canadians were wounded in the deadly incident at a popular night club.

The attorney general of Quintana Roo state said three of the dead appear were part of the security detail at the 10-day BPM electronic music festival.

Miguel Angel Pech said the shooting occurred about 2:30 a.m. at the Blue Parrot nightclub, one of the BPM Festival's venues in Playa del Carmen, just south of Cancun.

Pech said a lone gunman apparently tried to enter the nightclub, but was denied access because he had a gun.

The gunman began to exchange fire with another person inside, he said, and festival security personnel tried to stop the shooting and came under fire.

Pech said it was not a terrorist attack and that three people had been detained nearby, but it was unclear if they had been involved in the shooting.

"We know of another shooting incident that occurred near the nightclub, but we are investigating whether that is related" to the nightclub shootings," Pech said.

He said 20 bullet casings from three different pistols had been found at the scene, and said it was unclear if the security detail had been armed or fired any of the weapons.

The government of the township that includes Playa de Carmen referred in a statement to "attackers who fired shots," but did not provide further details.

The shooting apparently caused a rush of people heading for the exits at the beach-side club, and the lone female victim was apparently killed during the stampede.

Pech said 15 people were injured, included one Mexican woman who was seriously injured. He said eight of the injured --including two U.S. citizens and one Canadian --had been treated for less serious injuries at local hospitals and released.

He said three people had been detained nearby, but it was unclear if they had been involved in the shooting.

Rodolfo Del Angel, director of police in the state of Quintana Roo, told the Milenio TV station that he shooting was the result of "a disagreement between people inside" the nightclub and said security guards had come under fire when they tried to contain the dispute.

The BPM Festival posted a statement saying four people had been killed and 12 injured in an attack that involved "a lone shooter."

BPM wrote that "the violence began on 12th street in front of the club and three members of the BPM security team were among those whose lives were lost while trying to protect patrons inside the venue."

Playa del Carmen has largely been spared the violence that has hit other parts of Mexico.

Global Affairs Canada said it was able to confirm at least one Canadian fatality and was looking to verify the report about the second death.

"Consular officials in Playa Del Carmen and Mexico City are in ongoing contact with local authorities as they continue to address this tragic incident, and are providing consular assistance to Canadian citizens affected by the incident, including two who have been injured," spokeswoman Jocelyn Sweet said in an email.

- with files from The Canadian Press.
A lone gunman opens fire at the BPM Festival in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, killing at least four people and injuring 12 others.