A couple from California was tragically shot and killed on Wednesday while visiting family in the Mexican state of Michoacán.

The victims were identified as 53-year-old Rafael C. and 50-year-old María Gloria A. They traveled to Angamacutiro in Michoacán to celebrate the holiday season, as stated by the Attorney General’s Office of Michoacán.

According to Magdalena Guzmán, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office, authorities discovered the couple in their vehicle on a street in Angamacutiro. The car was extensively damaged by gunfire, and inside, a woman was found deceased at the scene, while the man was alive but succumbed to his injuries the following morning in a nearby hospital, Guzmán shared with The New York Times.

Prosecutors confirmed that both victims were U.S. citizens; the woman was a naturalized citizen originally from Mexico, and the man was born in the United States to Mexican parents, as reported by Reuters. Currently, investigators have not determined whether the couple was specifically targeted.

This tragic event follows the recent inauguration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in October, who vowed to confront crime. She had previously made progress in reducing violent crime while serving as the mayor of Mexico City.

Despite her assurances, her initial months in office have been marred by a surge in cartel violence, including the murder of a senior judge in Acapulco just a day after she conferred with governors and security officials about the ongoing violence.

YSL News has reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico for a response regarding this incident.