This was in today's news:

A B.C. man shot in the leg in Mazatlan, Mexico, pushed his wife to the ground when automatic gunfire broke out at a market, a family member says.

Mike DiLorenzo, 69, of Penticton underwent surgery for a severe gunshot wound to a leg. He is recovering in hospital after a metal plate was inserted in his leg, which was shattered above the knee. His wife, Serafina, was not hurt in the attack this week.

Speaking from Coquitlam, B.C., daughter Kathy DiLorenzo said her parents were on their annual Mexican vacation when the violence erupted.

"My dad said he was about 50 feet away from the market, four blocks away from the hotel that they were at, when he heard the gunfire," she told CBC News.

"Instinctively, he pushed my mom to the ground. As he was jumping to the ground, he got shot in the leg.

"My dad's a hero."

A group of masked men fired as many as 50 shots from automatic weapons. Their target is believed to have been a 25-year-old Mexican man who was passing on a motorcycle. The man, who was thought to be involved in the drug trade, died from gunshot wounds.

Mexico has been plagued by gang violence, prompting the Canadian government to issue a travel warning for the country.

Some Canadian travel agents are also cautioning tourists to avoid some western areas of Mexico, including Mazatlan, or to visit another country for a sun vacation.