Mexico About 150 people in La Mora, a farming village in Sonora state, left the village after the murder of nine women and children last week.

The victims of the shooting on November 4 were people living in La Mora village. A convoy carrying 17 of them on 4 November was on their way to the wedding when a gang ambushed and opened fire, killing three women and six children of dual US-Mexican nationality.

Taylor Langford, 27, a relative of the victim, said about 150 people, accounting for about 60% of residents in La Mora, left the village after the tragedy. "Some people leave temporarily, but some are gone forever. They say they will only return if security is better," Langford said.

"It is awful to see our livelihoods deprived in such a way," Langford, who grew up in a family of three generations living in the village, said, explaining that the who left the village "all for the safety of his family".

According to three Mexicans who are contacting families in La Mora, only 4 of the 34 households in the village remain after the massacre. Many people have moved to the US to live with relatives or friends.

Howard Miller, husband of Rhonita Miller LeBaron, one of three mothers died on November 4, moved to North Dakota, USA to stay with relatives. Langford said his family also evacuated to Phoenix, Arizona, and Salt Lake City, Utah, USA to live. Meanwhile, some La Mora villagers are planning to go to Colonia LeBaron, neighboring Chihuahua state.

The place where 9 people were ambushed in the village of La Mora is a battle area between the notorious drug gangs Juarez and Sinaloa. Juarez tape fighters have recently set up a bar at the top of a route in the area of Sinaloa gang in Sonora state, ready to fire on opponents passing.

Mexican authorities believe that drug cartels of the Juarez cartel have mistaken this convoy for women and children with rival gangs. Sonora police on Thursday arrested Leonardo, 30, a suspected Juarez drug gang member, into the shooting.

Gang violence is a serious problem in Mexico. The number of murders in the country in the first half of this year rose to a record of 14,603, surpassing 13,985 in the same period last year. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the country was investigating the incident and "justice would be enforced".

After the massacre, US President Trump offered to help Mexico in the pursuit of drug cartels. Mexico has asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate the case.