A leader of Mexican folk saint cult 'La Santa Muerte' is killed at an altar to the skeletal figure

MEXICO CITY — (AP) — A local leader of the Mexican folk saint cult “La Santa Muerte” was gunned down at an altar to the skeletal figure late Friday, authorities said.

Two other people were killed and eight injured in the attack in the city of Leon, in Guanajuato state, the authorities added.

The saint — whose name means roughly "Holy Death" — is often worshipped by convicts, drug addicts and criminals, along with other people who feel excluded or are experiencing difficulties in life.

The saint, who is not recognized by the Roman Catholic church, is usually depicted as a female skeleton, and is supposed to protect her followers from death.

But that didn’t work for “La Madrina Chayo,” a woman considered a leader of the cult in the north-central state of Guanajuato.

Prosecutors did not give her real name, in keeping with Mexican law, but the nickname “La Madrina Chayo” was used by a faith healer also known as “Chayito.”

She, another woman and a boy were shot dead Friday as they prepared the annual Santa Muerte celebration.

There was no immediate information on the condition of the eight people, including two children wounded in the shooting attack on the street corner altar.

Like Mexico's Day of the Dead holiday, the Santa Muerte is honored on Nov. 1 and 2.

Roman Catholic leaders in Mexico have condemned the deity’s connection to violence and the illicit drug trade.

Clad in a black nun’s robe and holding a scythe in one hand, Santa Muerte appeals to people seeking all manner of otherworldly help: from fending off wrongdoing and carrying out vengeance to stopping lovers from cheating and landing better jobs. Others seek her protection for their drug shipments and to ward off law enforcement.

While the cult may sound ominous, the annual celebrations honoring the Santa Muerte are friendly affairs, with people warmly greeting fellow worshippers and offering them small gifts.

For years, Guanajuato has had the highest number of homicides of any state in Mexico because of ongoing turf battles between rival drug cartels.

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