No penalty yet for shootout at Mexico football match

A first-division football match in Mexico has been suspended following a shootout just outside the stadium in the northern city of Torreon which caused players, referees and fans to run for cover. Local squads Santos Laguna and Morelia were locked at 0-0 after 40 minutes when the shots were heard. Players rushed to the changing rooms and fans, many of them children, ran onto the field to move away from the sound as the criminal drama gained momentum outside the stadium. A few minutes later, Santos president Alejandro Irarragorri went to the center of the field, accompanied by goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez, to announce that the game had been suspended. "In the Santos club, we feel bad for the time in which we are living. It is evident that the game will be suspended," Irarragorri was quoted as saying. "You can be assured that we will try to control these situations. We are sorry for Morelia, the referees and those who are visiting us from elsewhere." Local media reports suggest unknown men, most likely gunmen from drug cartels, opened fire on a police patrol near the stadium. Northern Mexico has been notorious for drug-related violence which has claimed thousands of lives since President Felipe Calderon declared war on drug cartels after taking office in 2006. However, this is the first time a football game in Mexico has been hampered in such a way.