Mexican local mayor went alone to meeting before his brutal killing

FILE PHOTO: A portrait of Alejandro Arcos, the mayor of Chilpancingo who was killed on Sunday less than a week after taking office, is shown at his funeral service as Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum is set to unveil a new security policy, in Chilpancingo, Mexico October 7, 2024. REUTERS/Oscar Ramirez/File Photo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The mayor of Chilpancingo, the capital of Mexico's violence-plagued state of Guerrero, traveled alone to an out-of-town meeting before he was killed, Mexico's security minister said on Tuesday about a murder which has shocked the country.

Alejandro Arcos, of Mexico's main opposition alliance, had only taken office six days earlier. Photos circulated on Sunday via WhatsApp and in Mexican media outlets depicting a severed head on top of a pick-up truck, appearing to be that of Arcos.