Ten people died Saturday afternoon in Baja California, and on Monday, at least one of those killed has been identified as a young San Diego man.
A van of gunmen opened fire on a crowd in Ensenada, killing 10 people, including Roberto Isaias “Tito” Ayala, who is survived by his wife and 4-year-old daughter. The shooting happened at an off-road car rally over the weekend. Ten other people were hit by gunfire, officials said.
Ayala's family said the big-rig driver was an innocent bystander, caught in the crossfire.
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His cousin Genesees Romero, who said Ayala was more like a brother, told NBC 7 Ayala was in Baja California living out one of his dreams — owning an off-road vehicle. He bought his dream off-road vehicle just a few days before the rally, according to Romero.
"He was just there to have fun. To just ride his new toy," Romero said. He wasn't there for anything else but to have fun."
Ayala's wife Citlali, who was with her husband when shots rang out, told Telemundo 20 a group of racers had stopped at a gas station near Ensenada and found themselves running from gunfire.
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A Baja California prosecutor said more than 250 shots were fired from at least 13 weapons, including handguns and rifles.
An organized crime leader who was among the group that had pulled off for gas was the target of the attack, according to the prosecutor.
That family released a heartfelt statement on an online fundraiser, saying they are devastated.
"An amazing life was lost 05/20/2023," the family said in a fundraiser notice adding, "He was a very kind soul, very generous, an amazing father and husband. Isaias … would occasionally organize groups and would go downtown [San Diego] and feed homeless people out of the kindness of his heart,"
Also on Monday, NBC 7 spoke with the director of a peace-building organization who said he's worried that the shooting will have ripple effects on both sides of the border.
"It’s terrifying but it’s also indicative of what has been going on for a long time," said Ev Meade of Proceso Pacifico.
The state’s prosecutor's office said there’s evidence of a crossfire, meaning it started as a confrontation between members of organized crime groups that then spread to innocent bystanders
Meade, a former USD professor, said the shooting may have lasting effects.
"The number of people killed and the fact they were very clearly not involved, and they were caught in a fight that wasn’t their fight — I mean, it’s terrifying, and if that fear leads to any change in tourism or any change in investment in Baja California, it will have ripple effects across the border," Meade said.
Meade said he predicts the attention the incident attracted will pressure the Mexican government.
"I think this one got international news, and I think there will be more national guard resources, which is basically a military arm of the Mexican government," Meade said.
No arrests have been made nor have the identities of the victims been released.
"His 4-year-old daughter is still waiting for her 'superhero daddy' to come home," the family said in the online notice, "and there are no words on how to tell her that he won't be coming back.”
The headline of this story originally said that Ayala was the father of 4, when, in fact, it should have said he was the father of a 4-year-old. We regret the error — Ed.
