Critics, politicians, and the general population in Mexico are blaming the death of an 11-year-old child by would-be kidnappers on the country’s pervasive corruption and ineffective policies.
Located at the corner of 8 de Octubre and five de Mayo streets, the boy’s grandmother’s home was allegedly where the shooting took place.
First, reports stated that the little child fought back against the kidnappers and was shot and killed. The Mexican authorities, however, rejected this theory; many conflicting reports have cast doubt on the accuracy of the details.
One report says the suspected hitmen in Mexico shot the child at the entrance of his home in the town of Paraíso, Tabasco state.
A video documenting the dying moments of the youngster, Dante Emiliano, went viral on social networks, adding more distress and controversy to the murder.
The boy, who was being cared for by bystanders, cried out in the waning moments of his death, exclaiming that he couldn’t breathe and he didn’t want to die.
Rushed to a hospital, the child’s death was announced several hours later.
Claudia Nely Hernández Estrada, the minor’s mother, denied being present during the assault, ruling out this possibility. The child and his grandmother were at home when the incident occurred; the grandmother reportedly departed because she had gotten a call.
According to a witness, Dante fought when several guys attempted to abduct him in the afternoon after he left the house. One of the guys then shot him.
Another story claimed that Dante and his mother were walking along a street. The youngster attempted to defend his mother during a brief altercation as a gang of would-be kidnappers tried to abduct the mom. As they ran away, the assailants shot the child many times, leaving him lying in a pool of blood.
As others hurried to the boy’s aid, filming it on their phones, they attempted to apply pressure to his wounds.
Word of the case traveled rapidly throughout Mexico, to the point that even prominent members of Congress voiced their concerns, stating that the ongoing rampant violence in the country was to blame.