Two Canadians are reportedly among those killed early Monday morning in a shooting at a closing night party for the BPM Festival in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
A lone gunman opened fire outside the Blue Parrot Beach Club at around 2:30 a.m. Police report five people are dead and at least a dozen were injured either from the shooting or the stampede to escape.
In a statement, BPM said: "We are overcome with grief over this senseless act of violence and we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement and government officials as they continue their investigation."
According to the statement, three BPM security guards were among those killed "while trying to protect patrons inside the venue." One of those was Hamilton, Ont. resident Kirk Wilson, 49. He worked as a bouncer at Toronto clubs.
Founded by Montreal's Craig Pettigrew and Toronto's Phillip Anthony Pulitano, the festival was celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The two men recently announced they are expanding the BPM Festival to Brazil and Portugal.
Pulitano is one of the co-owners of the Blue Parrot.
Several Canadians work as directors on the festival, including Toronto's Alessandra Axelsson, Vito Tomasicchio and Nitin Kalyan.
"Just shocked and saddened by this as we were in the club when this all happened," Kalyan wrote on Facebook, referring to he and his Oakville, Ont. girlfriend Tina. "We appreciate everyone's concern."
Also on Facebook, a friend of Pettigrew said she spoke to him following the incident. "He [is] OK," she wrote.
The line-up for the 10-day event included Montreal's Tiga and London, Ont.- based John Acquaviva (who was one of the headliners at a closing night party at The Jungle).
Tiga, who had already left Mexico, tweeted "Sad." He later added: "To have lived without the threat of violence was a privilege and a luxury."
DJ Carly Wilford tweeted: "Music is here to bring us together & unite us. People should not be loosing their lives where they are supposed to feel free."
Jackmaster called it "a very very sad situation" on Twitter. "Tryna get my head around it still. Thoughts and condolences to all affected."
Check out CTVNews.ca for updates on this tragic event.
Watch BPM Festival's Canadian co-founders Craig Pettigrew and Phillip Anthony Pulitano in a 2014 interview:
This story has been updated.