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Restaurant guild leader shot dead outside nightclub he owned in Mexican resort town of Acapulco

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The leader of the guild of restaurants, bars and nightclubs in the Mexican resort town of Acapulco was shot dead on Sunday, the state prosecutor's office said.

Jesus Rivera was killed in the early hours of the morning outside a nightclub he owned, after unknown assailants opened fire on him and then fled, state authorities in the southern region of Guerrero said.

"The state prosecutor's office initiated an investigation against those responsible for the crime of aggravated homicide," said a statement from the agency.

The attack occurred at the start of the summer vacation season, one of the busiest times of year for the town, with tourists flocking to the area's pristine beaches.

Recent months have seen at least three attacks against nightclubs in Acapulco, local media reported.

In April, at least three people were killed in a shooting and a subsequent chase by police officers at a beachside restaurant in Acapulco. Video posted on social media and YouTube showed people running down the beach as gunshots rang out. 

That shooting came just days after the severed heads of six men were reportedly discovered on top of a Volkswagen in the town of Chilapa de Alvarez, which is also in Guerrero state.

Guerrero, on the Pacific coast, is among the most violent states in Mexico due to the presence of criminal gangs and drug trafficking.

Mexico, hit by a spiral of violence linked to organized crime, has registered more than 340,000 violent deaths since December 2006, when a controversial military anti-drug operation was launched.

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