A consular officer from the U.S. Consulate General is in “stable condition” in hospital after being shot in the chest Friday afternoon in Guadalajara.
The official has been identified by some Spanish-language media outlets as Christopher Ashcraft, although this has not been confirmed by the diplomatic mission for "privacy considerations."
The U.S. foreign service employee was shot in his vehicle, moments before he was about to leave the car park of a local shopping mall just after 6 p.m.
The consulate has posted several security videos of the incident on its Facebook/YouTube platforms, noting that the FBI is offering a reward of $US20,000 for information leading to the identification of the aggressor. Some of the surveillance footage shows images of the agressor in the mall prior to the shooting, including several close ups.
One video shows the gunman loitering for several minutes near the exit before the vehicle driven by the consular official draws up at the barrier. The man, dressed in dark, surgical-style clothing and wearing dark glasses, takes out a weapon from his pocket and fires a single round from ten yards at the car before running off.
Another image posted on the consulate facebook page shows the suspect at the counter of a coffee shop in the mall before the incident.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City at (01-55) 5080-2000.