TIJUANA (Border Report) — On the last day of 2021, as people were getting ready to welcome the new year, three men were murdered in the city of Tijuana to close out the year with 1,972 homicides.
One of the victims was shot several times while inside his home. Two other men were also shot and killed on the east side of Tijuana.
Just in the month of December, 149 people were murdered. It was the end to yet another violent year in this city of more than 2 million people just south of San Diego.
According to numbers from Baja California’s State Attorney’s office, 2,000 people were victims of homicide in 2020, and more than 2,200 in 2019.
A recent survey in Tijuana showed 90 percent of residents don’t feel safe in their city.
“I used to feel safe, now I don’t, the violence seems to be gripping more and more areas of the city,” said André Morales, a college student in Tijuana. “It’s dangerous going from one end of the city to another.
City officials have hailed the lower number of homicides as a step in the right direction.
“It’s not where we want to be, it’s a painful number, but it’s better than where we’ve been. Ultimately, security in this city is the state’s responsibility,” said Monserrat Caballero, Tijuana’s mayor.