COFFINS BRING SORROW HOME TO JUARENSES

Aftermath: Services Begin for Juarez Massacre Victims

JUAREZ -- You could feel the pain. You could sense the desperation.
You could understand the sorrow.

More than 200 people crowded the interiors of several small houses
and walked along the street of a southeastern neighborhood where 16
people -- 11 younger than 20 years old -- were mercilessly gunned
down at a birthday party three days before.

Twelve others were wounded.

Family and friends surrounded coffins in at least eight houses, where
wakes were being held. Heartbreaking cries and mournful shouts were
heard coming from the homes.

Along the street and sidewalks, some students wearing school uniforms
held each other and wept. Others wrote messages on posters while
tears streaked their faces. Several other people stood around silently.

Soldiers carrying assault rifles guarded the outer streets of the
block. Some overlooked the neighborhood from atop houses. A
helicopter with federal police patrolled.

The heightened security was to prevent another attack in the Villa de
Salvarcar neighborhood such as the one that occurred Saturday.

That night, gunmen sealed off the block and stormed into a birthday
party with large-caliber weapons.

The assailants entered at least two houses and sprayed people with
bullets. Many standing outside the homes were shot dead.

The gunmen fled. One person was arrested Tuesday, and the alleged
mastermind of the massacre was killed in a shootout with soldiers
Monday. The gunmen believed those at the party belonged to the
Artista Asesinos gang, which is reportedly affiliated with the Sinaloa cartel.

More than 4,400 people have been killed in Juarez since the drug war
began in January 2008. Most killings are linked to the Sinaloa and
Juarez drug cartels.

A 17-year-old boy, who refused to give his name for fear of
retaliation, said he was at the party when the shooting started. He
said he and his friends were celebrating the 18th birthday of their
friend, identified only as Jesus Manuel.

"We got together for the party. We were all friends from the
neighborhood. We knew a few other people from sports teams, but we
were all good friends," he said as he stood outside the house of one
of those killed. "We had spread the word about the party through
e-mail and MySpace."

The party, the boy said, was originally supposed to be at Jesus
Manuel's house, but the location was changed at the last minute. The
new location was at an abandoned house on Villa del Portal.

A pair of bloody black dress shoes and one black tennis shoe were
outside the house Tuesday. All three had bullet holes.

Another boy, who did not want to give his name for fear of
retaliation, said he was in the house when gunfire started. He said
everyone was having a good time before gunshots were heard.

Everyone in the house, he said, was calm, dancing and having a great time.

Among those killed were brothers Jose Luis Pina Davila, 16, a
high-school student, and Marco Pina Davila, 19, an international
relations student at the Autonomous University of Chihuahua. Cousins
Horacio Alberto Soto, 19, and Jose Luis Aguilar Camargo, 19, were
also killed. Aguilar Camargo was also an international relations
student at the university.

Aguilar Camargo's father, who did not want to be named, said words
could not express his pain. He said his son was a good person who
wanted to better himself.

"He was a baseball player. He wanted to finish school and move
forward in life. He wanted to be better, that's why he was going to
school," he said. "He wasn't the kind of kid to be out on the
streets, you know, roaming the streets. He was always home early."

Aguilar Camargo's father said he did not believe justice would be
served in his son's death. That also contributed to his sorrow, he said.

"From previous events, we know nothing is going to be done. Mexico's
justice is injustice -- we all know it," he said. "We have a great
pain. We feel our loss and, now, we're in pain from not having
information from the government. What can we expect?"

Jose Luis Pina Davila's friend Monica Jimenez, 17, said her friend
did not deserve to die. She said he was a good person who did not have enemies.

"This is horrible. This is an injustice. How can they (the
assailants) kill their own people," she said as tears streamed down
her cheeks. "He didn't have enemies. They didn't deserve to kill him.
I never thought this would happen to him."

Manuel Hernandez Villegas, 37, a neighborhood watchman who rode his
bicycle around the neighborhood daily, also was killed in the
shooting. Several men carried his coffin around the neighborhood to
his favorite hangout spots. Several people trailed behind shouting sorrowfully.

Also killed were Yomira Aurora Delgado Lara, 13, Jesus Armando
Segovia Ortiz, 15, Brenda Ivonne Escamilla Pedroza, 17, Jose Adrian
Encina Hernandez, 17, Juan Carlos Medrano, 17, Rodrigo Cadena Davila,
17, Carlos Lucio Moreno Avila, 18, Edgar Martin Diaz, 19, Eduardo
Becerra, 35, Jesus Enriquez Miramontes, 39, and Jaime Rosales Cisneros, 42.

At least 11 other people remained at a hospital near the
neighborhood. Four were in serious condition.