Mexico mayor shot dead inside town hall on July 22

A mayor in central Mexico who survived an assassination attempt earlier this year was shot and killed inside his town hall on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, authorities said. Valentín Lavín Romero, the mayor of Temoac in the state of Morelos, was found dead inside the municipal government building after armed men entered and opened fire.

The Morelos state prosecutor's office confirmed the killing and dispatched investigators and forensic teams to the scene. Security forces launched an operation to identify and arrest those responsible, but no arrests have been announced and a motive has not been disclosed. According to local reports, the assailants fled on a motorcycle.

Lavín, a member of President Claudia Sheinbaum's ruling coalition through the Green Party, had previously survived an armed attack in January while traveling on a highway. He had previously served as mayor from 2019 to 2021 and was elected again in 2024 for a term scheduled to run through 2027.

The killing adds to a long list of attacks on local officials in Mexico. Official figures show nearly 100 mayors have been murdered since 2006, when the government launched a military campaign against drug cartels and...