Reports indicate that an American family was shot dead during a vacation in Mexico, while a teen is fighting for their life.

The mother of a Chicago teenager is seeking financial support for her son's medical care and to facilitate his return to the United States.

Reports indicate that an American family was shot dead during a vacation in Mexico, while a teen is fighting for their life.
Reports indicate that an American family was shot dead during a vacation in Mexico, while a teen is fighting for their life.

A 14-year-old boy from Chicago is in a coma after being shot on a family vacation in Mexico, along with his father and uncle, according to local reports and a fundraiser for the family.

Last week, officials in Durango, Mexico, confirmed that Vicente Peña Jr., 38, Antonio "Tony" Fernandez, 44, and Jorge Eduardo Vargas Aguirre, 22, all from Chicago, were killed in a shooting.

The Durango Attorney General's Office stated that Pena, his son, and Fernandez are U.S. citizens, while Vargas Aguirre is a local resident and relative of the other victims, as reported by ABC News.

The teenager's mother organized a fundraiser on SpotFund to raise money for the teenager's trip to Durango, Mexico with his father, brother, and uncle to visit family and celebrate his 14th birthday.

Vicente Peña Jr. and his son on a boat
Vicente Peña Jr., his 14-year-old son, and his brother, not pictured, were vacationing in Mexico over the holidays and for his son's birthday. (Ana Cabral/ SpotFund)

""Two days before my baby's birthday, my son's father, uncle, and cousin were shot to death, and my son was the only survivor, also shot on the head. He is in critical condition in ICU and on life support," the boy's mother wrote on the SpotFund page."

The mother of the teenager is seeking financial support for her son's medical treatment and to facilitate his return to the United States.

The State Department has confirmed the deaths of two American citizens and the injury of a minor in Santiago Papasquiaro, Durango, Mexico, to Planet Chronicle Digital. The Department expressed its sympathies to the families of the victims.

A Durango officer looks out onto a street in the city's historic downtown area
The victims' bodies were found on Dec. 27 along the Francisco Zarco Highway in Santiago Papasquiaro, Durango officials told NBC 5. (Facebook/ SSP Durango)

The State Department also confirmed that Mexican authorities are investigating the shooting.

Officials informed NBC 5 that the victims' bodies were discovered on Dec. 27 near the Francisco Zarco Highway in Santiago Papasquiaro, Durango.

Officials described the attack on a group traveling in an SUV with Illinois license plates in Durango as a surge in violent crime, according to NBC 5. No other details were immediately available.

Mexico flag
The State Department has issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Mexico, meaning tourists should exercise increased caution when visiting the United States' southern neighbor. (Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Durango-area police did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Planet Chronicle Digital.

A Level 2 travel advisory has been issued by the State Department for Mexico, advising tourists to exercise heightened caution while visiting the country. The advisory states that violent crimes such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery are prevalent and common in Mexico.

by Audrey Conklin

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