What happened at the school
A 15-year-old student entered the Instituto Jesús María Plaza, a private school in Villa Dorrego, La Matanza, on Tuesday with a firearm and caused a detonation inside a classroom, according to reports. The episode occurred at the school on Benjamín Matienzo Street around 6200, near Mañasco, and left no injuries among classmates, teachers, or administrators. Witnesses said the teenager threw his backpack to the floor and a gunshot was heard. The noise immediately alerted school staff, who notified the Buenos Aires provincial police.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
The classroom was evacuated to prevent anyone from being hurt if the weapon fired again. Officers from the South Fourth Police Station in Villa Dorrego seized the revolver and found it had no visible brand or serial number. Inside the weapon, they found five intact cartridges and one spent casing, consistent with the shot fired in the classroom. The scene was preserved for forensic examinations. The school's director was the one who alerted the police and confirmed that a student had brought the firearm, according to sources.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
The weapon and the investigation
Police seized a .32-caliber revolver that had no visible brand but did have a serial number, according to police sources. The firearm contained five live rounds and one spent casing, matching the detonation inside the classroom. The prosecutor's office ordered standard procedures to determine how the student brought the pistol to school. The case was classified as illegal carrying of a firearm and remains under judicial investigation. The teenager did not threaten or point the weapon at anyone, sources said.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
The adolescent will be questioned on Wednesday by prosecutor Marcelo Germinario of the Juvenile Criminal Responsibility Unit of the La Matanza Judicial Department. He was charged with illegal carrying of a civilian weapon and, under the new juvenile criminal law, could be arrested. He also underwent a medical examination to assess whether he had any injuries. Authorities are working at the school with administrators, police sources said.[S1][S2][S4]
The mother's account and the new juvenile law
The teenager's mother was called by school authorities and said she did not know how the weapon had reached her son. According to her account, the revolver belonged to the boy's father, who had left the home after an argument with her. She presented herself at the school within minutes to take charge of the situation. The woman told police that the firearm belonged to her son's father and that she did not know how it had gotten into the boy's hands. She also said the man had left the family home after a discussion with her.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
The new juvenile criminal law allows adolescents aged 14 and older to be prosecuted for crimes under the Penal Code, though they remain under a special system. The norm prohibits life imprisonment and perpetual reclusion for minors, sets a maximum custodial sentence of 15 years, and provides for alternative measures and, in certain cases, deprivation of liberty. It does not mean every crime committed by a minor under 18 automatically leads to incarceration; alternative sanctions are contemplated, especially when the applicable penalty exceeds three years and reaches up to ten.[S2]
