"19 lifeless bodies" found after shooting at cockfighting venue in Mexico

Nineteen people were shot and killed in central Mexico on Sunday, the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) said in a statement. Authorities were called to the scene at around 10:30 pm following reports of an attack on a venue often used for hosting illegal betting on cockfights in the town of Las Tinajas, Michoacan state.

"19 lifeless bodies were found (16 men and three women), who had gunshot wounds," the FGE said. Several others were injured and had been sent to hospital, it added.

Federal authorities are working "with the aim of capturing those responsible for the violent acts," the office of Michoacan's secretary of public security said.