Thread: Canadian tourist killed in latest Mexican shooting

Tiffany Crawford, Canwest News Service
Published: Sunday, May 18 2008

The killing of another Canadian tourist - shot to death in Mexico - is the latest in a string of violent attacks that have left at least half a dozen dead in the last three years.

In the latest incident, Bouabal Bounthavorn, 29, was shot three times in the head Thursday inside his hotel room in the city of Cabo San Lucas, said local police.

Gar Pardy, Canada's former top consular official, said Canadians should not jump to conclusions about violence in Mexico because the numbers of people killed are "a blip" compared to the vast number who travel there.
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"He was shot three times in the head, you know I don't think this is a robbery in progress," said Pardy.

"I don't see that as an issue. I go there all the time."

The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade confirmed that a Canadian had died but said Sunday there were no updates in the case.

"We're aware of the death of a Canadian citizen in Cabo San Lucas," said spokeswoman Marie-Christine Lilkoff. "Consular staff are in touch with local authorities who are conducting an investigation"

Lilkoff would not give any further details, citing privacy concerns.

State police commander Enrique Wuilar told the Associated Press that a lone gunman had shot Bounthavorn, who was staying with his girlfriend at the Hotel Riu.

The man's girlfriend, 24-year-old Masha Heikali, was shot in one foot. Reports say she is at home recovering in Burnaby, B.C.

Pardy said its likely more information about the case will come to light because there was an eyewitness "to talk about what happened in that room."

The death Bounthavorn adds to the growing list of Canadians killed in Mexico over the past few years.

. Domenic and Nancy Ianiero of Woodbridge Ont, were found murdered with their throats slashed in February, 2006 at a resort in the Mayan Riviera.

. In January 2007, Janette Lerch, 54, and her husband, Cliff Glasier, 67, were struck by a car in a hit-and-run while walking back to their rented condo in Ajijic - a village southeast of Guadalajara. Glasier, a former Chatham resident, was killed while Lerch underwent surgery to repair broken bones on the right side of her body, including her hip, shoulder and leg.

. Also in January 2007 another Woodbridge resident, Adam DePrisco, 19 was killed outside an Acapulco nightclub. Mexican officials say he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident, while members of his family say they believe he was beaten to death. Deprisco's friend, Marco Calabro said he was thrown out of the bar after dancing with a local man's girlfriend. DePrisco's uncle, Claudio Pannozzi has publicly called for Canadians to boycott travelling to Mexico for their holidays.

. Last May, Jeff Toews, a 34-year-old Albertan, died after falling from the balcony of a Cancun resort. However, Toews' family believes he, too, was the victim of a beating. No arrests have been made in any of the cases.

Despite the number of violent attacks, the Department of Foreign Affairs has not issued an official warning about the country.

Currently the department warns travellers to exercise a high degree of caution for a number of reasons, among them "high levels of criminal activity."

An estimated one million Canadians visit Mexico each year.


IF YOU ARE A GRINGO OR A CANADIAN YOU ARE A TARGET FOR ANYONE LOOING TO GET RICH QUICK AS MEXICO IS A ORGINIZED CRIM RUN STATE.

CRIME IS A GOOD PAYING JOB IN SOME PLACES.

Gar Pardy, Canada's former top consular official, said Canadians should not jump to conclusions about violence in Mexico because the numbers of people killed are "a blip" compared to the vast number who travel there.

Its sad that someone's life is just a "blip" to a politician.

It was a number of years ago in Florida where the World had travel warnings about going to Florida. People weren't being killed (atleast I don't recall for sure), but tourists were targets of having all their money and valuables stolen and such. Seemd like all the time people in Florida were sending money to help yet another family have a means to stay till they could their identification taken care of, tickets back home and all that. They started having to have all the rest stops have police or some sort of armed guard there for peoples protection. Motels started ramping security up. They didn't fight the issue like Mexico has.....getting mad about it. It happened, they gave safety tips and such and things to seriously warn tourists about what to do and not do. Personally, I think you need your head examined if you go there now, but Mexico should be ramping up some safety measures for their tourists.....before they drive that mode of income out of their country as well.