Chicago boy in coma, father and uncle killed after shooting in Mexico
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 14-year-old boy from Chicago is in a coma, fighting for his life after a shooting in Mexico that also killed his father and his uncle.
Authorities in Mexico said the teen was traveling with his father and uncle in an SUV with Illinois license plates in the state of Durango on Friday night when they were shot.
The boy's father, 38-year-old Vicente Peña Jr., and uncle, 44-year-old Antonio Fernandez, were killed in the shooting. The boy survived, but is in critical condition and in a coma.
All three are U.S. citizens, but were visiting relatives in Mexico.
A local activist is working to get the teen home to Chicago.
"We are coordinating everything, but it's a challenge in the hospitals in Mexico. They have their train of thought, and they have their protocols and procedures, and they don't care if you're a United States citizen. So it's nightmarish to be in another country, like Mexico, and not have the adequate, appropriate medical care," said Pastor Julie Contreras, founder of United Giving Hope.
Authorities have not yet determined what led up to the shooting. The U.S. State Department has warned against travel in the Durango area of Mexico, due to a surge in gang-related crime.
