A local mayor in Mexico was gunned down on his first day of office on New Year's Day.

Tlaxiaco Mayor Alejandro Aparicio Santiago was walking to his first official meeting at city hall shortly after taking office, when a group of gunmen opened fire, according to a statement from the prosecutor's office of Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca.

He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Four others were wounded in the attack.

Gov. Alejandro Murat of Oaxaca confirmed the killing of Santiago via Twitter Tuesday.

Murat condemned Santiago's slaying, promising a thorough investigation. He said a suspect was already in custody.

Between September 2017 and August 2018, 175 politicians were killed in Mexico, NPR reported, citing the consulting firm Etellekt.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.