16 August 2023 , 15:07
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A Brit family holidaying in Mexico say they have been left "absolutely traumatised" after a shooting happened in front of their faces.
The Butlers were enjoying what was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime at the five star resort in Cancun as they celebrated mum and dad Katrina and Bryan's 50th birthdays. But the holiday descended into a horrifying nightmare after the family witnessed a murder.
The five, from Cambuslang near Glasgow, were relaxing by the pool on July 25 when they heard gunshots. As Katrina and Bryan were cooling off in the water, they turned to see a man shot dead in front of horrified and aghast families.
Mrs Butler told how seeing the shooting made them fear for their safety while leaving them shaken and utterly traumatised. The gunman fled the scene, leaving the victim's body yards from where their three children were playing.
She told Glasgow Live: "As I am waist height in water I hear the gunfire, I immediately stopped in my tracks. My husband, who is further up the pool by this point, shouts 'get down and take cover'. My immediate thought was my children."
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The 49-year-old said the day soon turned to "absolute carnage". "All I heard was screaming, people running and looking for their children," she added.
"I didn't know if my own kids were dead or alive at this point, because I couldn't see them. There were six gunshots in total, three of which hit the man's face."
The shooting was believed to have been gang-related. Katrina's eldest son, 18, came "running" towards his mum after having witnessed the man drop dead.
Bryan meanwhile gathered their two younger sons, aged 12 and 15, before they took refuge inside the hotel. Katrina added: "The hotel is all glass so, all I could think of was, if he starts shooting towards us all of this glass is going to come in on us. The staff told us to go to our rooms, stay in our room and lock the door."
Katrina claims to have seen armed military personnel patrolling the nearby beach two days prior to the incident, however, on the day of the shooting she couldn't recall seeing any security. She continued: "We stayed in our hotel room but within 90 minutes other guests were back in the pool and playing beach volleyball - my children refused to come out of their room."
After the shooting, Katrina was in contact with a holiday rep who offered her alternative accommodation however, her boys were "terrified and just wanted to get home". The family decided to fly home to Glasgow the following day.
Mexico has one of the world's highest murder rates per person, with around 28 per 100,000 people, according to the United Nations' Office on Drugs and Crime. Cancun, in South East Mexico, is one of the country's biggest tourist destinations which is extremely popular with Brits.
The Government's foreign travel advice for Brits visiting Mexico advises against all but essential travel to some parts of the country, although Quintana Roo where Cancun currently remains in a green zone. The Foreign Office says: "Crime in Mexico can pose a risk for foreigners, particularly in major cities and tourist resort areas where street crime is a serious issue."