It's not that the cartel wouldn't do anything like this ... but they wouldn't do THIS as it happened. Maybe it IS cartel related ... I could DEFINITELY see that tying into this. Or border related.

But the cartel isn't going to order a school shot up and just make things more difficult for them. They have plenty of ways to scare people and they're not going to do the ONE way that would could explode and backfire on them hardcore. If it was the only way they'd do it. They're fucking violent. I'm just having the trouble on seeing the motive on this move specifically. There's lots of better ways they could have intimated people without calling a whole bunch of attention to themselves, the border situation, and garnering support for a whole bunch of things that make their life more difficult - just doesn't make sense.

But I could see them being involved somehow ... but I think it's more likely this is about something different. But this is on the right general track in a way somehow ever more so than other theories that make more sense in a lot of ways.

The border angle is a thinker. Not as much into the cartel angle.