ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – We are learning more about the deadly shooting on the University of New Mexico’s campus that left a 14-year-old dead and a 19-year-old injured. Police have not yet disclosed why the 14-year-old was on campus, but court documents reveal insights from someone present when the shot rang out.
With over 400 students and parents on campus for new student orientation, many are asking what led to the early Friday morning incident, which resulted in a multi-day shelter-in-place order and a manhunt spanning central New Mexico. “All the resources that we thought were necessary were brought to bear to make sure that we were able to get this case solved and the suspect in custody as quickly as possible,” said New Mexico State Police (NMSP) Officer Troy Weisler.
According to the criminal complaint, the alleged shooter, 18-year-old John Fuentes, arrived at the university around 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, driving his father’s car, which had an interlock system. He was meeting with the 19-year-old to play video games. Inside the room were the 19-year-old victim, the 14-year-old, another male, and Fuentes.
Police began receiving calls about a shooting around 1:30 a.m. The other male present told police that Fuentes appeared to be under the influence of drugs and shot the 14-year-old, killing him. He then reported that Fuentes pointed the gun at him and then shot the 19-year-old. The male and the other victim managed to escape through a window and later went to the University of New Mexico Hospital.
Around 2:30 a.m., UNM Hospital reported the arrival of a 19-year-old male with a gunshot wound, who stated that he had been shot on campus. This led to a manhunt that lasted throughout Friday. Fuentes was arrested Friday afternoon around 2:30 p.m. in Los Lunas.
State police credit the use of license plate reader technology for assisting with tracking Fuentes’s movements and his eventual arrest in Valencia County. According to the criminal complaint, Fuentes fled the scene of the shooting, smashing windows at the Mesa Vista building before escaping to Los Lunas. The complaint also noted that blood stains, a pair of jeans, and a stolen handgun were found on the roof of the Mesa Vista building. It was stated that Fuentes was picked up by two people before heading back to Los Lunas.
It is against state law to carry a gun on a university campus, and the state has filed to keep Fuentes in custody until trial.
