WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT — Gruesome pictures show the bodies of kids on the floor after they were killed in a hail of gunfire at the arcade in Uruapan, in the central Mexican state of Michoacan<br />At least nine people have been killed including children following a bloody shootout at a slot-machine arcade in Mexico.<br /><br />The youngest victim was a boy just 12 years old, while four teenagers were also murdered in a hail of gunfire.<br /><br />Monday's slaughter in the city of Uruapan, in the central Mexican state of Michoacan, is the latest in a wave of violence sweeping the country.<br /><br />Police fear the shooting in Michoacan's second-biggest city was related to rival drug gangs.<br /><br />Michoacan's attorney general said in a statement late on Monday that eight people had died in the arcade shootout.<br />Another person died while receiving medical attention while others were injured.<br /><br />The youngest victims were aged 12 and 13, while others aged 14, 17 and 18 also died, the prosecutor's office said.<br /><br />Footage on social media showed bodies lying in pools of blood on the floor of the arcade.<br />Authorities haven't yet given a motive for the deadly shooting in Uruapan, a city that has long suffered from gang violence.<br /><br />Criminal cartels fight for control of the drug trade, as well as the increasingly lucrative avocado farming industry.<br /><br />Although children are rarely targeted, drug gang feuds were largely responsible for Mexico's bloodiest year in 2019, with more than 34,600 killed.<br />Drug gangs in Mexico are often involved in extorting money from slot-machine arcades.<br /><br />Increasingly, critics have slammed the government's security measures and low conviction rates.<br /><br />Mexican media reported the shootout was linked to a dispute between rival cartels trying to seize control of the trade in synthetic drugs.<br />A spokeswoman for the attorney general wouldn't comment, adding that investigations are ongoing.<br /><br />The prosecutor said four gunmen used Mexican military-ordered weapons.<br /><br />In the aftermath, 65 bullet casings from 9mm weapons were found in the arcade.<br />Uruapan is a major centre for the processing and export of avocados, many of which are exported abroad.<br />
