Two women and a boy were shot dead at the altar of the popular saint cult “La Santa Muerte” in Mexico

A local leader of the Mexican folk saint cult La Santa Muerte was shot dead late Friday at an altar for the skeletal figure, authorities said.

Two more people were killed and eight injured in the attack in the city of Leon Guanajuato stateauthorities added.

The saint – whose name roughly translates to “Holy Death” – is often revered by convicts, drug addicts and criminals, as well as other people who feel excluded or have difficulties in life.

The saint, who is not recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, is usually depicted as a female skeleton and is said to protect her followers from death.

But that didn't work for “La Madrina Chayo,” a woman considered the leader of the cult in the north-central state of Guanajuato.

Prosecutors did not reveal her real name in accordance with Mexican law, but the nickname “La Madrina Chayo” was used by a faith healer also known as “Chayito.”

She, another woman and a boy were shot dead Friday as they prepared for the annual Santa Muerte celebration.

There was no immediate information on the condition of the eight people, including two children, who were injured in the shooting attack at the street corner altar.

Like Mexico's Day of the Dead holiday, Santa Muerte is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd.

Roman Catholic leaders in Mexico have condemned the deity's links to violence and illegal drug trafficking.

Santa Muerte is dressed in a black nun's robe and holds a scythe in his hand. She appeals to people seeking otherworldly help: from warding off wrongdoing and exacting revenge to preventing lovers from cheating and getting better jobs. Others seek protection for their drug shipments and to ward off law enforcement.

Although the cult may sound threatening, the annual celebrations honoring Santa Muerte are a friendly affair in which people warmly greet their fellow believers and offer them small gifts.

Deadly pattern of violence in Guanajuato

For years, Guanajuato has had the highest number of homicides of any Mexican state, reflecting ongoing power struggles between rival drug cartels.

Last month, 12 bodies – all with signs of torture and carrying messages from cartels – were found in Guanajuato. Officials said the victims – three women and nine men – were found on streets, bridges and avenues. Their bodies bore gunshot wounds and signs of torture, while one was dismembered.

The bodies were found less than 24 hours later Gunmen attacked a residential center for addicts in the same community, killing four people.

There are two cartels in Guanajuato Santa Rosa de Lima and the powerful Jalisco new generationare currently at war.

In Guanajuato, police officers, politicians and civilians were attacked. In June, six members of the same family included a baby and a toddler murdered in Guanajuato. In April there was a candidate for mayor shot on the street in Guanajuato, just as she began campaigning.

Last December, 11 people were killed and another dozen were injured in an attack on a pre-Christmas party in the state. Just a few days earlier, the Panels of five university students were found in a vehicle on a dirt road in Guanajuato.

The US State Department is urging Americans to reconsider traveling to Guanajuato. “Of particular concern is the high number of homicides in the southern region of the state that are linked to cartel violence,” the department said in a travel advisory.