13 shot dead by Gunmen in Mexico’s Veracruz

Gunmen raided a family party in the Mexican state of Veracruz, killing 13 people, including a child, authorities said.

Four other people were injured in the attack Friday in the city of Minatitlán

"Federal and state forces have deployed a strong search and capture operation of those responsible for the events," Gutiérrez Maldonado, secretary of public security in Veracruz state, tweeted Saturday.

The unidentified assailants opened fire on Friday night after coming to look for a person called El Beky, according to preliminary reports obtained by the state police. "El Beky" is the owner of a bar located in Minatitlán, a spokesman for the government of Veracruz said.

Seven men, five women, and a child died in the shooting, which occurred close to Minatitlan’s oil refinery, one of six run by state oil firm Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex). Four other people were injured, the state government said in a statement.

Federal authorities are collaborating with the Veracruz state authorities to find those responsible, authorities said.

State authorities have held an emergency meeting "to address the regrettable and condemnable events," Veracruz state Gov. Cuitláhuac García tweeted.

A motive for the mass shooting was not immediately known.