An Arizona resident, Craig Ricketts, found himself in a dangerous situation when he was caught in a gang shootout near the southern border. Despite being shot twice, once in the arm and once in the leg, Ricketts harbors no resentment towards the individuals who endangered his life.
Ricketts was traveling from Mexico to Tempe, Arizona, on Christmas Eve to visit his son when the incident occurred. He was driving through the northwestern Sasabe, a risky border route, due to a closure at the Lukeville checkpoint. It was during this journey that his car was hit by at least 16 bullets fired by smuggling gangs.
Ricketts recalled the terrifying moment when he noticed his left window had been shattered by a bullet. He also found a bullet hole in his front window and his car radio destroyed by another bullet. He described the sensation of being shot as similar to a bicycle scrape from childhood.
The Attorney General’s Office in Sonora reported that this was the second incident in a month where an American was caught in the midst of violence. Ricketts had initially planned to bypass the closed Lukeville checkpoint by crossing the border at Nogales. However, his GPS directed him towards the Sasabe entry point in Sonora, an area the Department of State advises Americans to avoid due to high crime rates.
This incident occurred just a week after a US resident was killed and two others were injured in a shooting along a Sonora highway, as reported by the Arizona Republic. Ricketts, who has been working in Mexico for 20 years, is currently involved in a real estate development project in Puerto Libertad, Sonora.
Despite the terrifying ordeal, Ricketts expressed understanding towards the gangs that fired at him. He stated that they were merely trying to secure their smuggling routes and did not know who he was.