NEED TO KNOW
- The identity of the suspect arrested and charged in relation to the fatal shooting at the University of New Mexico (UNM) has been revealed as 18-year-old John Fuentes
- Fuentes allegedly killed a 14-year-old boy and injured a 19-year-old male during the incident
- The alleged perpetrator was arrested and now faces four charges, including murder in the first degree and tampering with evidence
The identity of the suspect arrested and charged in relation to the fatal shooting at the University of New Mexico (UNM) has been revealed.
In a statement issued on Saturday, July 26, the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) named 18-year-old John Fuentes as the alleged perpetrator.
Fuentes was located by authorities in Valencia County and was taken into custody without incident on the afternoon of Friday, July 25, hours after the shooting, the statement said.
He was then booked at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque on charges of murder in the first degree, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and tampering with evidence.
NMSP were initially called to the UNM campus in the early hours of July 25 after receiving a report of a shooting from the University of New Mexico Police Department, according to the statement.
Campus police responded to an alarm signal at Mesa Vista Hall, an academic building located on campus, at 1:36 a.m. local time.
Upon arrival, campus officers observed broken windows and suspected blood, and, after conducting a security sweep of the surrounding buildings, they discovered the body of a deceased 14-year-old male inside one of the dorms, per the NMSP.
College police officers additionally received a call from the University of New Mexico Hospital stating that a 19-year-old male had come in with a gunshot wound and said he was shot at the UNM campus.
NMSP said in the release that their initial investigation “has determined that the incident involved four individuals who were hanging out in a dorm room in the Casas Del Rio complex.”
“At some point, for reasons still being investigated, the suspect began shooting a firearm at the other occupants in the room. The 14-year-old victim was fatally shot while the other occupants, along with the suspect, fled from the room,” the statement continued.
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The name of the deceased victim, as well as the other individuals involved in the incident, have not yet been released. It currently remains unclear if Fuentes is a UNM student.
NMSP said the investigation remains ongoing.
PEOPLE reached out to the University of New Mexico, as well as the University of New Mexico Police Department, for comment on July 26 but did not receive an immediate response.
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