Mourners on Sunday filled the streets of a city in the western Mexican state of Michoacan to pay tribute to its mayor, who was killed during Day of the Dead festivities.

Crowds chanted "Justice!" as they followed the hearse carrying Uruapan Mayor Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, who was shot dead the night before.

People tossed flowers and applauded as it passed, while a mariachi band played and the mayor’s hat rested on his horse’s back — a final tribute to the man many described as devoted to his community.

Manzo’s widow, Grecia Quiroz García, vowed that her husband’s struggle would continue.

Residents, too, expressed anguish over the violence that has gripped their city.

"We are very hurt because Uruapan wasn’t like this," said one teacher during the funeral. "It’s a reflection of what we live through every day."

Authorities said the mayor was gunned down in front of dozens of people gathered for the "Festival of Candles," an event organized by local officials as part of the Day of the Dead celebrations.

The attack was carried out by a lone gunman who took advantage of the vulnerability of the public event, firing seven times with a weapon later linked to criminal confrontations in the region.

Manzo had been under police and National Guard protection since late 2024, and his security detail had been reinforced in May.

Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said the killing underscored the challenges facing local authorities amid persistent criminal violence in Michoacan.

At the site of the attack, mourners later built a small altar adorned with candles, flowers and the mayor’s photograph — a symbol, they said, that while his voice had been silenced, his fight for a safer Uruapan would not end.

AP Video shot by Martín Silva Rey