Mexican authorities say a newspaper columnist and his family were killed in the eastern city of Veracruz.

Officials say an unknown number of gunmen entered the home of Miguel Angel Lopez Velasco Monday morning, shooting him, his wife, and their 21-year-old son. No one has been arrested in the case.

Lopez wrote a regular column about politics and drug-related crime for the Notiver daily newspaper in Veracruz.

Press freedom groups say Mexico is the most dangerous country in the Americas for journalists. At least 40 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 2007.