A TEENAGE suspect has been arrested in the shooting at the University of New Mexico that killed a 14-year-old boy and left another wounded.
Gunshots rang out on campus in the early hours of Friday morning plunging the college into lock down as cops hunted for the gunman.
Hours later at around 2:30 pm, police arrested 18-year-old John Fuentes who had been identified as the suspected gunman.
State police officers detained him during a traffic stop, and he faces anticipated charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and evidence tampering.
Authorities were initially summoned to Mesa Vista Hall at the University Campus in Albuquerque at approximately 1:36 am on Friday, where “officers observed broken windows and suspected blood,” according to New Mexico State Police in a statement.
The police department later received reports of gunshots, followed by a notification from the University of New Mexico Hospital that a 19-year-old man had sustained a gunshot wound on campus.
“As UNM officers were conducting a security sweep of the surrounding buildings, they made entry and located a deceased 14-year-old male inside one of the dorms,” cops said.
The identities of the wounded male and the 14-year-old boy have not been released.
The 19-year-old is being treated in hospital and his injuries are not life-threatening.
State police believe that four people gathered in a single dorm room on the Casas Del Rio complex were involved in the incident.
“At some point, for reasons still being investigated, the suspect began shooting a firearm at the other occupants in the room,” police said.
“The 14-year-old victim was fatally shot while the other occupants, along with the suspect, fled from the room.”
Joe Silva from the UNM Police Department said that the group were playing video games and that only one of the individuals had a lease with the University for the room.
Fuentes is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center as an investigation continues.
The shelter-in-place order on campus was lifted on Friday evening but there will be increased police and security presence over the next few days, University President Garnett S. Stokes said.
She said she was “deeply saddened by the loss of life and horrified by this act of violence.”
HEARTBROKEN AND SHAKEN
The president confirmed that new students and their families were on campus for orientation week when the shooting took place, highlighting how “distressing” the incident will have been for them.
But, planned orientation activities are set to continue.
“We want to assure everyone that we are fully committed to your safety and well-being,” she said.
“Our thoughts and prayers go to the loved ones and friends of those lost and injured.
“This is certainly a difficult moment, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, angry, or afraid.”
New Mexico State Rep. Marianna Anaya said that the entire campus and UNM community has been “shaken” by the shooting.
“It is especially heartbreaking that this occurred during the time of a new student orientation — a time when students and their families should be filled with hope, excitement, and a sense of possibility.”
The summer semester comes to an end on July 28 with new and old students flooding campus to settle in before classes start up.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller thanked state police for arresting a suspect in the shooting, adding that he is “heartbroken by the tragic loss of life”.
“UNM must be a safe space for our kids and we will continue to stand with the community in the days ahead,” he added.
UNM is a public university and has the largest student population of any university in the state, with over 22,000 students enrolled in 2023.
Casas del Rio, located on Central Campus, can house 1,030 students, according to Lobo Development Corporation.
The school’s main campus sprawls across 800 acres, located a mile east of downtown Albuquerque.
More than two years ago, another shooting on campus killed a 19-year-old student and injured a college basketball player.
