36 Shell Casings, 4 Dead: 3 Gunmen Walked Into a Zamora, Michoacán, Bar, Found Their Victims’ Table and Opened Fire, Prosecutors’ Findings Show
Three gunmen walked into the El Nuevo Quijote bar in the Las Fuentes neighborhood of Zamora, Michoacán, at about 11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, found the table where their targets were sitting, opened fire and left, Contramuro reported on Oct. 3, citing the findings of the Michoacán state prosecutor’s office. Three men and one woman were killed. Crime-scene investigators collected 36 spent shell casings, mostly 9mm, the outlet said.
What authorities have confirmed
Michoacán’s Public Security Secretariat (SSP) said the attack took place “between members of criminal cells,” without saying which ones, Infobae reported on Oct. 3. Early reports put the death toll at five. State authorities corrected it to four. Contramuro said the dead men were roughly 25 to 30, 35 to 40 and 55 to 60 years old, and the woman 30 to 35. All four remained unidentified at the morgue.
The reports differ on the wounded. The SSP and Zamora’s municipal police said three men were hurt and taken to hospitals. Contramuro’s account of the prosecutors’ findings mentions one injured person. Infobae, citing a live broadcast by Noticias Alerta Michoacán, said one man was taken to a private hospital with a gunshot wound to the head. No arrests had been reported. Milenio put the number of casings found at about 30.
Milenio’s report from the scene:
Which cartels operate in Zamora
According to the Spanish news agency EFE, as cited by Infobae, state prosecutors said witnesses described men firing assault rifles at patrons who were listening to regional Mexican music, including narcocorridos. Initial investigations blamed fights between cartels over drug production and trafficking, and over extortion of business owners, merchants and transport operators. EFE said federal authorities identify three groups in Zamora: the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), the Knights Templar (Caballeros Templarios) and the Cártel de Los Reyes. None of them has been publicly tied to this attack, and the motive remains under investigation.
Sources
- Contramuro, “Fueron tres los que cometieron el ataque en bar de Zamora,” Oct. 3, 2026
- Infobae México, “Ataque directo en bar de Zamora deja tres hombres y una mujer muertos: hay otros 3 heridos,” Oct. 3, 2026 (citing SSP Michoacán, Zamora police and EFE)
- Milenio, “Fiscalía investiga ataque en bar de Zamora que dejó 4 muertos y 30 casquillos,” Oct. 3, 2026 (video)
- Photos: Red Michoacán, “Ataque en bar de Zamora deja 4 hombres y una mujer asesinados,” Oct. 3, 2026
Reported Oct. 4, 2026, from the outlets above. The victims have not been publicly identified, no suspects have been named or arrested, and the wounded count differs between official statements and press accounts.