Gunman kills leader of sect that had expelled families

Associated Press/March 21, 1999

MEXICO CITY - A leader of a sect that had expelled 79 families from its community last year was shot to death while riding in his pickup truck, Mexican newspapers reported Sunday.

Ausencio Velazquez Huerta, a leader of "The New Jerusalem" sect was shot twice Saturday in the community of Puruaran in the western state of Michoacan, where the sect is based. There have been no arrests.

The state attorney general's office said Velazquez Huerta was returning from a shopping trip when a man jumped out and fired six times into the truck, striking Velazquez Huerta twice, the newspaper Reforma reported.

In June, more than 300 people were expelled from the community for not complying with the sect's rules. It was not known if the shooting was related to the expulsions.

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