12-year old brings family shotgun to New Mexico school and wounds two students

Kendal Sanders, age 13 (source)

12-year old Mason Campbell was able to get his family's .20-gauge shotgun and ammo and brought them to his school, Berrendo Middle School, hidden in a band instrument case, in Roswell, New Mexico.  He is a 7th-grader at the school.

Campbell entered the school gym, where a large number of students were gathered before school started, and opened fire.

A good article with details and images.

He shot an 11-year old boy twice in the face, and shot a 13-year old girl, Kendal Sanders, in the right shoulder.  Both are now in the hospital.  The girl is in satisfactory condition, while the boy has had two surgeries and is in critical condition.  The 11-year old believes he was the intended target.

Shooter Mason Campbell, age 12, posing
with a shot animal (source)

A social studies teacher, John Masterson, was able to talk the boy into surrendering the weapon.

The school had a security guard, but the guard wasn't near the situation as it unfolded.

The entire shooting lasted about 10 seconds.

The shooter, Mason Campbell, is apparently a hunter (see image) and is therefore, presumably, familiar with gun and gun safety.

The gun reportedly came from the family home.  How had it been stored?

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

12 year old New Mexico boy shot and killed by 15 year old cousin

A New Mexico teen has shot and killed his 12 year old cousin after his cousin shot him with a BB gun: 

A Carlsbad, N.M., teenager has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter after allegedly shooting and killing his 12-year-old cousin with a handgun that he thought was unloaded. According to KASA.com, these tragic events began when 12-year-old Jeremy Hatfield pointed a BB gun at 15-year-old Michael Schultz, who reciprocated by producing an actual handgun and pulling the trigger. Schultz initially told police that Hatfield had died in a drive-by shooting, before allegedly admitting that he was the one who shot him. Now, he could face up to two years in juvenile detention.

Underage shooters in unintentional shootings like these are not usually charged with crimes, and I suspect Schultz’s initial lies to police—along with his relatively advanced age, as these sorts of shootings go—had a lot to do with why he was charged. While Schultz isn’t entirely blameless here, and while he definitely shouldn’t have told the police such a stupid lie, I don’t think that the charge should stand.

New Mexico state courts have maintained that “the culpable state of mind for involuntary manslaughter ‘comprehends evidence of an utter irresponsibility on the part of the defendant or of a conscious abandonment of any consideration for … safety.’ ” In other words, to get a conviction, a prosecutor must demonstrate that the defendant really ought to have known better. And yet, children can’t generally be expected to know better, or to realize that they are being dangerously reckless. Teenage brains are still developing, and, because of this, teenagers are prone to impulsive behavior and terrible decisions—like pointing a gun at a cousin. Schultz certainly should have known that that sort of behavior is inappropriate. But did he consciously abandon all safety considerations? I think that’d be hard to prove.

If the involuntary-manslaughter charge against Schultz stands, the case will probably be tried in juvenile court, which is some small consolation, at least. But the case shouldn’t end there. Police do not yet know how Schultz got the gun, though Hatfield’s grandfather apparently said that Schultz may have obtained it from a friend. Whatever the gun’s provenance, its owner ought to face charges, too.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

New Mexico girl, 8, shot and killed while sitting in a car

An 8 year old girl was driving in a car outside of a New Mexico community center when someone shot at the car. She died later. From an article:

Police say an 8-year-old Albuquerque girl has been killed a day before her birthday following a shooting near an Albuquerque community center.

KOB-TV reports (http://bit.ly/119p5FN) that Albuquerque police said that Sunni Rae Reza was shot Friday as a man, the girl and the girl's father were driving near the Alamosa Community Center. That when police say someone began shooting at the vehicle.

It's unclear the motive for the shooting.

Police say the man driving the car dropped off Reza at the fire station down the road and left.

According to authorities, Reza was transported to a nearby hospital where she later died.

Police say the suspects in the case were three or four men — all dressed in black.

No arrests have been made.

15-year old New Mexico boy uses assault rifle to kill two adults and three children

Shooter Nehemiah Griego, age 15

A 15-year old boy entered a home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and opened fire with an assault rifle, killing two adults and three children.

From an article:

The victims' identities haven't been released, and the boy's motive and connection to the five victims weren't immediately known. Williamson said investigators were trying to determine if the victims were related. 

"We are trying to identify the victims," Williamson said. 

Each victim suffered more than one gunshot wound, he said. 

Investigators also were trying to determine who owned several guns that were found at the home, one of which was a semi-automatic military-style rifle. 

Authorities declined to release details of any conversation that the 15-year-old had with investigators. 

The teenager was booked on two counts of murder and three counts of child abuse resulting in death. 

On Sunday, a police roadblock cut off public access to the narrow dirt road that leads to the home. 

Detectives were still processing the crime scene Sunday afternoon. 

Peter Gomez, a 54-year-old carpenter who lives about 200 yards from the home, said he saw police vehicles and ambulances arrive Saturday night. 

Gomez said he doesn't know the family that lives at the house, but he has seen a married couple and their two boys and two girls from time to time. 

"It's a horrible thing," Gomez said. "You see all this stuff that happens all over the country, the shootings in the schools and theaters, and then it happens right here. It's sad."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/01/20/5127505/officials-nm-teen-gunman-kills.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

It doesn't say how the boy got the gun.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

UPDATE (1/22/13):  According to a follow-up article, the 15-year old shooter's name is Nehemiah Griego.  The adults he shot were his parents, pastor Greg Griego and his wife, Sarah Griego.  Together they had 10 children.  The three young victims, siblings of Nehemiah, are a 9-year-old boy, Zephania Griego, and girls Jael Griego, 5, and Angelina Griego, 2.

From the article:

The shooter has now been identified by Sheriff’s spokesman Aaron Williamson as 15-year-old Nehemiah Griego, the son of victim Greg Griego. The young man was arrested and booked for two counts of murder and three counts of child abuse resulting in death. All the victims received multiple gunshot wounds. 

Police also revealed the home where the victims were found belonged to Greg and Sarah Griego. Greg Griego was the chaplain for the Albuquerque Fire Department and established several prison ministries. According to information in his biography, Greg Griego and his wife, Sarah, had 10 children.

According to another

article (source), all five victims were shot in the head.

According to a different article, the shooter, after killing his family, loaded up a car with his AR-15 assault rifle and intended to go to a local Walmart to go on a mass shooting spree before dying in a shootout with police, but was instead convinced to go to a local church by a friend before surrendering.

UPDATE (1/23/13):  According to a follow-up article, the boy got the gun by raiding his parents' closet, where the guns and ammo were not apparently locked up, while his mother slept.  He killed her first, then killed his three younger siblings because they were upset, then ambushed his father when he got home from an overnight shift at a mission.  The article confirms his intent to shoot up random people at a Walmart, and to die at the hands of police, but instead he went to a church to meet his younger girlfriend.  He may have been interested in killing her parents, too.  When interviewed by the police, it became apparent to them that the boy was very wrapped up in his love of extremely violent video games.
.

13-year old New Mexico boy held hostage and shot in shoulder; mistaken for car thief

The13-year old Albuquerque shooting victim.

A 13-year old boy had sneaked out of his friend's house in Albuquerque, New Mexico and was playing a game with his friend by hiding under a truck.

Unfortunately, that truck had recently been stolen and returned.  The homeowner came out with a handgun and caught the boy, forced him to the ground, zip-tied him and pulled him into the home, and shot him in the shoulder.

Luckily, the boy is recovering.

No charges have been filed.

From an article:

A 13-year-old Albuquerque, New Mexico boy is recovering after being shot by a neighbor in a case that is reminding many of the Trayvon Martin killing. 

The boy in this case is an 8th grade basketball player who also plays first chair viola at school.
His mom says he’s a good kid, who snuck out of a friend’s house early Saturday morning but wasn’t up to trouble. 

“I was at my friend’s home and I was walking to my friend’s home,” said the boy in an exclusive interview with NBC affiliate KOB Eyewitness News 4. 

“And on the way there we were just running around just playing and just hiding from each other and I hid under a truck.” 

The moments that followed could have cost the boy his life. 

A criminal complaint states the homeowner, Michael Zamora, heard noises and went outside with a gun thinking someone was stealing his truck. 

It had recently been stolen and recovered. 

“He told me to get the f’ on the ground so I put my hands up and I got on my knees. And then he grabbed me by the back of my shirt,” said the boy. 

The 42-year-old claims the boy punched him in the face. 

The boy told police Zamora dragged him into his garage and zip-tied his wrists. 

“My heart just dropped and I didn’t know what was going to happen,” said the boy. 

Zamora then took the 5’2″, 90 lbs. boy inside his house until police arrived, according to court documents. 

When police found the boy they realized he had been shot in the shoulder. 

When police asked Zamora about it, he first told them that he had the gun it fell and went off.
He then clarified his story to police saying he had the gun in his hand the whole time and then it went off by accident. 

When asked if he meant to shoot the boy, Zamora replied, “no, I didn’t!  It was 3 o’clock in the morning. There’s a kid messing around with my truck, what do you expect? You know?”
“I’ve never been so scared in my life,” said the boy’s mother, Alysha Colbert. “I could’ve lost my son,” she said. “If he would have turned around and took off running would he have shot him in the back, because he was black?” 

Zamora allegedly told police, “I saw the guy right there, it was dark, he was black, I didn’t know what to expect.” 

“Trayvon Martin. That’s the first thing that popped into my mind was Trayvon Martin,” said Colbert. 

To that, Zamora responded: “That’s ridiculous. I was just protecting my property and my family you know. That’s all I can do. I think any other red-blooded American would have done the same thing.” 

The boy is now in a sling recovering from the gunshot wound. 

His mom says she’s going to fight for justice. 

The boy was staying at a friend’s house and snuck out to walk two girlfriends home.
The boy’s mother had no knowledge of this because she was at her house. 

“I don’t care what time of night he was out, he didn’t deserve this. No kid deserves anything like this,” she said. 

After police heard from both Zamora and the boy, the decided Zamora was in the wrong. 

He’s now charged with false imprisonment and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. 

“I regret everything,” said Zamora. “I wish it had not happened but it did. It’s unfortunate.”
The boy’s mom says he’s not charged with anything. 

“I think that he should be in jail right now,” said the boy. “I don’t see how he thought I was a man because I’m not really that big.”

.

12-year old Sante Fe boy shot in drive-by while sleeping in bed

A 12-year old boy in Sante Fe was asleep in his bed, and adults and other kids awake in a neighboring bedroom, when shots were fired from outside the home. Two bullets entered his bedroom and hit him. One grazed his leg, the other shattered a knee.

From the article and news footage:

The family says they are relieved that nobody else was hurt, and they hope police will catch those responsible.

"There are so many kids that could have been injured and it could have ended tragic, and they're out there free and happy," Sotelo said.

No suspect information was immediately released.
....
Police say they believe the shooting was gang-related, possibly targeting one of the family members.

.

8-year old girl and father threatened by gunman

An 8-year old Albuquerque girl and her father were in a grocery store parking lot when a man pulled a gun on them.

From the article:

It happened Saturday night in the Albertson’s parking lot near Coors Boulevard and Central Avenue southwest.

Police say Louis Chavez, a former inmate at the Metro Detention Center, recognized a man at an Albertson’s parking lot as a guard at the jail.

Police say Chavez took off when the girl started screaming.

Officers found Chavez at a nearby bus stop.

He was arrested and charged with child abuse and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

.

16-year old boy and a woman shot and killed by landlord in Sante Fe

In an apparent landlord-tenant dispute over rent payments, the landlord, Arthur Anaya, entered the home and opened fire, killing a 16-year old boy living there and fatally injuring an adult woman living there, and forcing the woman's 17-year old daughter at gunpoint to help him move the bodies.

From the article:

An arrest warrant for Arthur "Arturo" Anaya of Santa Fe was issued on two counts of murder after Theresa Vigil, 51, and her daughter's boyfriend, 16-year-old Austin Urban, were shot dead Monday, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. 

The two victims lived in a mobile home on Anaya's land in Santa Fe, along with Vigil's 17-year-old daughter Natalie, according to the newspaper. 

Anaya, 54, is accused of arguing with Vigil on the phone about rent she owed before walking to the mobile home armed with a handgun, the arrest warrant states. 

He then allegedly punched Vigil and her daughter in the face, before shooting Austin in the mouth. He then shot Vigil in the forehead, according to the police document. 

After the shooting, Anaya reportedly told Natalie to put the bodies of her mom and boyfriend in the trunk of her car and threatened to shoot her when she argued that they were still alive. 

Natalie eventually persuaded Anaya to let her take her mother to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her boyfriend was reportedly left at the scene, and Anaya fled. 

Anaya, who previously was convicted of numerous crimes, including assault, false imprisonment and armed robbery, is described as having graying hair and brown eyes and is around 5-foot-6. 

(additional article and video)

Anaya is currently on the run.