Dozens of mariachi bands were serenading couples and families in Mexico City when five men disguised as musicians unleashed a hail of gunfire.
A foreigner, who was not identified, was among the eight others who were wounded, the prosecutor’s office said.
The gunmen fled on motorcycles after the shooting, officials say, and were still on the run as of Saturday night.
Local authorities said it was unclear why the men opened fire.
The shooting took place as crowds kicked off Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations on Friday and during a busy night at Plaza Garibaldi, a popular square where mariachis play around the clock for tourists and locals.
The roots of mariachi music in Mexico City can be traced to a bar that dominates one side of the plaza.
Gunshots can be heard over footage of a man playing “La Cucaracha” on a large harp.
Video footage also shows dozens of police officers at the square in the aftermath of the shooting. They could be seen standing next to an area sealed off with yellow tape and near the bronze statue of Javier Solis, a Mexican singer who was popular for his boleros and mariachi ballads, as some mariachis continued playing music as usual.
