TIZAYUCA: Masked men burst into a children’s party in central Mexico and hacked 11 people to death, authorities and witnesses said Thursday, in the violence-plagued country’s latest mass murder, reports AFP.

Police found the gory scene when they responded to an emergency call received just after midnight in the city of Tizayuca, in the central state of Hidalgo, officials said. Neighbors said four men burst into a large white tent where a family was hosting a children’s party outside their home. They stabbed to death seven women, two men and two minors, said state prosecutor Javier Lara.

The murders appear to be a settling of scores, he told a news conference, indicating that the homeowner was involved in organized crime.

“He had a criminal record for various crimes, including kidnapping, for which he did time in prison,” Lara said.

“We can presume this was a settling of scores. Evidence indicates a hit squad was sent to the home to kill (the victims).”