Tijuana, BC – On the morning of August 2, 2025, in Tijuana, a man claiming a divine mandate entered a home where a family gathering was underway and opened fire, killing four people and wounding a fifth. The attack occurred in the colonia Anexa Providencia—referred to in some local reports as Divina Providencia—just after dawn.
Attack during family gathering
According to early accounts, the victims—a woman and three men—were together consuming drinks when the assailant arrived. Witnesses and a surviving victim said the suspect began shooting indiscriminately, shouting that he was acting on a divine order and that “the lord had asked him for four angels.” The surviving victim’s testimony became the key to the rapid police response.
Authorities and local outlets reported the attacker was apparently under the influence of drugs and experiencing auditory hallucinations during the rampage, which officials say contributed to his belief that he had been commanded by a celestial entity to carry out the killings. Four children who had been present at the scene were rescued unharmed by neighbors and turned over to authorities, while the wounded adult was stabilized and later reported out of immediate danger.
Police response and capture
The survivor’s account triggered a joint operation by the Tijuana Municipal Police and the Fuerza Estatal de Seguridad Ciudadana (FESC). Officers located the suspect barricaded in a nearby dwelling. He was armed with a firearm and a knife and, once cornered, threatened to harm himself if approached.
In an effort to disarm him, police first deployed less-lethal measures, including rubber bullets, but the suspect remained aggressive. Authorities ultimately used a controlled shot to neutralize him; during the arrest he was wounded and taken into custody. Reports diverge on the severity of his injury: one local outlet said he was shot in the stomach and remained in critical condition at the Hospital General de Tijuana, while another account described his condition as stable and not life-threatening after the intervention.
Officers recovered the weapon used in the attack, a knife, and a magazine loaded with seven rounds. The swift capture was confirmed in broader media coverage, which noted the fatal result of the attack and the immediate detention of a suspect.
Suspect claims divine order and next steps
The detainee was identified by authorities as Gerardo “N,” following recognition by the surviving victim. He told police that a supernatural or celestial entity had directed him to kill four people, framing the victims as the “four angels” the order demanded.
Investigators are treating the case as a violent multihomicide and will turn over the suspect to the state prosecutor’s office to face charges. Officials have not publicly detailed whether a formal psychiatric evaluation will be conducted, but the reports of drug influence and hallucinations are likely to factor into pretrial assessments.
