2026 Lázaro Cárdenas school shooting
School shooting in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, México
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On 24 March 2026, two women were killed in a school shooting at the Antón Makárenko Educational Institute in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Mexico.[1] The perpetrator was identified as a 15-year-old male named Osmer H.[2] It is the deadliest school shooting in the history of Mexico.
c. 9:30 AM (UTC-6)
| 2026 Lázaro Cárdenas school shooting | |
|---|---|
Aftermath of the shooting outside the Antón Makárenko Preparatory School | |
| Location | Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Mexico |
| Date | 24 March 2026 c. 9:30 AM (UTC-6) |
Attack type | |
| Weapons | 5.56 AR-15–style rifle (PMF) |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Injured | 0 |
| Perpetrator | Osmer H. |
| Motive | Under Investigation |
Background
Michoacán has long been one of Mexico's most violent states, primarily in extortion, kidnapping and other criminal activities. School shootings are rare in Mexico despite a high level of organized crime.[3]
Shooting
At approximately 9:30 AM, 15-year-old Osmer H. attempted to enter the school armed with a high-powered assault rifle. Two female staff members prevented him from entering the building, at which point he shot at them multiple times, killing them both.[4] He was subsequently apprehended by students,[5] who tied him up and then turned him in when police arrived. He supposedly carried 67 rounds, shooting 24 of them during the attack.[6] Following reports of gunfire, the National Guard and municipal police carried out an operation at the school, according to the Security Ministry.[7]
Victims
Perpetrator
The 15-year-old shooter was identified as Osmer H. He took the weapon, an AR-15–style rifle, along with a singular high-capacity magazine,[3] used in the crime from his stepfather, who was a member of the Mexican Navy.[6] Shortly before the shooting, he posted content on Instagram relating to the incel subculture, suggesting a motive,[10] along with multiple self-recorded photographs and videos of himself holding the rifle.[11] His profile used the name "vodka.om", an alleged reference to "VoDKa", the username used by Dylan Klebold, one of the two perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre.[12]
The state prosecutor stated the intention to charge the perpetrator as an adult, citing the gravity of the crime along with past cases of underage hitmen being prosecuted as such.[6]
Sentencing
On 17 July 2026, the perpetrator was sentenced to three years' incarceration – the maximum permissible under Michoacán's specialized code of adolescent justice, to be served at a juvenile facility in the state capital, Morelia – and to the payment of 3,280,769 pesos in restitution to the victims' families.[13][14]
See also
- List of school attacks in Mexico
- Colegio Cervantes shooting: school shooting in Torreón, Coahuila, in which an 11-year-old boy killed one teacher and injured six others before commiting suicide