A seventh grade, 12-year-old boy was taken into police custody today after opening fire on fellow students in a middle school gym. New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez stated that a 11-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl were shot and briefly treated at the Eastern New Mexico Medical Center before being air lifted to the University Medical Center in Lubbock, TX. The boy received surgery and is listed in critical condition, while the girl’s condition has been upgraded to serious.
The shooter entered the school shortly before 8:00am and headed for the
The shooter entered the school shortly before 8:00am and headed for the
gym, where students typically congregate before school starts. According to a witness, the boy retrieved a shotgun from a band instrument case and began shooting. Unconfirmed reports state the male victim was shot twice in the face, and the female was shot in the arm. A school faculty member was injured when trying to get the suspect to set his weapon down but refused medical attention. The principal issued a lockdown and asked a state police lieutenant, who was dropping his daughter off at the school at the time, to help diffuse the situation. Officers responded at 8:11am and the shooter was taken into custody. After the school was secured, students were bused to the Roswell Mall where they reunited with their parents. New Mexico State Police are leading the investigation.
The MSA Research and Intelligence Analysis (RIA) Group has been monitoring this situation, and has identified the following implications:
MSA Security's Research and Intelligence Analysis Group provides real-time intelligence on events and worldwide threats as they evolve.
The MSA Research and Intelligence Analysis (RIA) Group has been monitoring this situation, and has identified the following implications:
- The shooter’s name has yet to be released. It is unclear if this was a targeted shooting, or if the suspect was seeking to harm as many students as possible.
- The quick action taken by a faculty member and a state police lieutenant, followed by the swift response of the police, may have prevented any further injuries.
- The incident comes a month after the shooting at Arapahoe High School in Colorado, in which a gunman armed with a shotgun, machete and Molotov cocktails sought revenge on his debate team’s coach. Seventeen-year-old Claire Davis was shot and injured during the incident, but died from her injuries several days later.
MSA Security's Research and Intelligence Analysis Group provides real-time intelligence on events and worldwide threats as they evolve.