A video of a firefight on a crossing between the U.S. and Mexico that forced people to hide behind cars has gone viral on social media.
The footage shows an individual on a bridge ducking down behind a vehicle as loud bursts of continuous gunfire are heard. The clip has so far been viewed more than 1.5 million times since being posted on Wednesday evening on the Mexican news network ADN 40's Twitter page. It was subsequently reposted by accounts including Intel Point Alert, which says that it reports "major incidents as they occur throughout the United States."
Intel Point Alert captioned the footage: "Heavy gunfire reported at Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, which connects Texas and Tamaulipas, Mexico."
A follow-up tweet said that several people had reportedly been shot and there are unconfirmed reports that there had been at least three fatalities.
ADN 40 said that the shooting occurred between "elements of the army and armed civilians" and that three alleged criminals were killed.
The shooting started at around 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday and the three people who allegedly died were involved in the gunfight.
Newsweek has not been able to independently verify these claims. Newsweek was told by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that they were checking the viral video. They later came back and told Newsweek to reach out to the Government of Mexico regarding this incident.
BREAKING: Heavy gunfire reported at Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge, which connects Texas and Tamaulipas, Mexico
pic.twitter.com/xUESrEFAQo
Tensions on the southern border have been high in recent months as Southern states brace for a renewed influx of migrants as a result of the imminent end of the Title 42 policy.
Title 42 is a public health law dating back to 1944 that allows authorities to stop people from entering the U.S. from foreign countries where there is "the existence of any communicable disease" that could spread to Americans.
The policy was reinstated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in March 2020, during Donald Trump's tenure as president, in a bid to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Joe Biden initially opted to keep the policy when he came to office and defended it as a necessary public health measure in the battle against the coronavirus.
However, Title 42 faced criticism as some claimed it was being used to prevent migration to the U.S. rather than as a health policy. Critics also claimed it was preventing asylum seekers from reaching safety.
Its continued use became increasingly controversial as it remained in place even when other COVID-19 measures were dropped.
The CDC announced in April 2022 that it planned to scrap the policy and made the decision to do so after recognizing that the risk to public health had diminished following mass COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.
Title 42 is set to officially end on Thursday, May 11, when all federally-mandated laws to tackle COVID-19 are due to end.
Update 5/11/23, 4:12 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with further details.
Update 5/12/23, 9:58 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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