3 suspects detained in shooting death of Juárez newspaper photographer
A Juárez newspaper photojournalist was shot and killed early Thursday while working a second job as a driver for a ride-hailing service, officials said.
Ismael Villagómez was a photographer for El Heraldo de Juárez with 18 years in the news business, his newspaper reported, describing Villagómez as a happy person who was dedicated to his job.
Three possible suspects in the photographer's murder were in custody by Thursday evening and were being questioned on a theory that Villagómez was shot in a struggle during a robbery attempt, state police told El Heraldo de Juárez.
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The Chihuahua Attorney General's Office said that Villagómez was found dead from a gunshot wound near his left eye at 1:53 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, while sitting in the driver's seat of a gray Hyundai Elantra in the Fronteriza Alta neighborhood in western Juárez. His cellphone was missing.
#MEXICO: CPJ has learned of the killing of Ismael Villagómez, a photographer of @heraldocuu, earlier today in Ciudad Juárez, and calls on authorities to immediately and credibly investigate. https://t.co/EZ5paYyJBu
— CPJ Américas (@CPJAmericas) November 16, 2023
Villagómez may have been killed while working as a driver but is still considered a journalist and investigators from a specialized group will look into all possible motives in the homicide, Carlos Manuel Salas, the state prosecutor for the Northern Zone of Chihuahua, said in a statement.
There have been more than 1,000 homicides in Juárez this year, including more than 60 already this month, with the majority of killings tied to fighting among gangs and drug cartel-linked groups.
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The photographer's death was condemned by Mexican and international journalism and press freedom organizations, which called for a full investigation.
There have been 152 journalists and media workers killed in Mexico since 1992, including more than a dozen last year, making Mexico one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in the world, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Juárez photojournalist Ismael Villagómez killed, 3 suspects detained
