CANADIANS VICTIMS IN MEXICO SHOOTING
Canadian caught in gunfire while working security
A towering presence with dreadlocks down to his waist, Kirk Wilson was a legend on the Toronto nightclub scene, known for his skill at defusing trouble.
But early Monday morning, Wilson’s instinct to protect others proved fatal when he was caught in gunfire as he worked security at a music festival in Mexico.
The BPM electronic music festival, an annual event in Playa del Carmen and created by two Canadian men, said in a statement that after a lone shooter opened fire at the Blue Parrot nightclub, three members of its security team were killed “while trying to protect patrons inside the venue.”
Mexican authorities said five people lost their lives and 15 were injured. They said a second Canadian was among the dead, but the Canadian government had not been able to confirm that as of Monday afternoon.
Two Canadians were among the injured.
Peter Donaghy, a photographer and musician who was inside the nightclub, praised the response of the security team.
“In the artist area and everyone remained calm and found safe ground and the #blueparrot security guards went to the gunfire to keep us safe,” he wrote on Twitter.
“The #blueparrot security at #bpmfestival stood up for us when there was gunfire they are the real heroes.”
Neil Forester, a Toronto event organizer, had known Wilson for nearly 20 years and called him his “go-to guy” when he needed security for a show.
“He was known in Toronto for being at the front door of all of the main nightclubs on their main nights,” Forester said.
“He was probably without argument, the top doorman in Toronto.”
He said what made Wilson extraordinary was his “ability to use his brain and talk a situation out rather than let it become a violent one. It was also his way of treating customers in all situations with respect.”
He said Wilson was 49 and was married with two children.
“He was a family man. He was a very gentle guy,” he said.
Global Affairs Canada said in a statement Monday: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of all of the victims of the shooting in Playa del Carmen, including one Canadian citizen who has been confirmed to have been killed. We are actively investigating reports of a possible second Canadian fatality.”
The shooting in the popular resort town on the Yucatán Peninsula came on the final night of a festival that draws fans from around the world.
This was the 10th anniversary of the event, created by Craig Pettigrew and Phillip Pulitano of Toronto.
Miguel Angel Pech, the state attorney for Quintana Roo state, said a gunman entered the club around 2:30 a.m., and festival security personnel who tried to stop the shooting came under fire.
Pech said 20 bullet casings from three different pistols had been found at the scene and that it was unclear if the security detail had been armed or fired any of the weapons.
Pech said the gunman himself apparently escaped, though three people had been detained nearby. It was not known if they had been involved in the shooting.
He ruled out any terror attack but authorities are investigating whether it could be related to the battle over control of the drug trade.
“I was thinking it was the same thing that happened in Paris, some guy just walking in and shooting people at a restaurant, bang, bang, bang, a terrorist attack,” said New Zealand tourist Tyler Klee, who was outside the club when shots rang out.
“Everyone ran, everyone was terrified, looking for their friends … We were running away and then you hear more shots fired, like you don’t know if you’re going to be shot in the back or not.”
The shots set off a rush for the exits that accounted for at least some of the injuries. The lone female victim was apparently killed during the stampede.
The shooting could put a dent in the tourism industry of the Yucatan, which has generally been spared the violence plaguing other parts of Mexico.
Videos posted online after the shooting showed panicked clubgoers rushing through the streets of the resort town and taking shelter beneath tables outside nearby bars.
“We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence,” the BPM Festival management said in a statement on its Facebook page.