Albuquerque school shooting leaves 1 dead and 1 arrested

The shooting at Washington High School is the second in Albuquerque in less than 24 hours. The city is on track to break its homicide record this year, after reaching a previous annual high of 80 murders in 2019 in the first eight months of 2021.

Scott Elder, Albuquerque Public Schools Supervisor, told police at a news conference that it was a terrible day for the school district and for the entire community.

“I want to send my thoughts and prayers to all of our students, to all of our families affected by this horrible event,” he added.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Friday that she is heartbroken, noting that more work is needed to address gun violence in New Mexico.

For his part, Albuquerque Police Deputy Commander Kyle Hartsock said the shooting was an isolated incident between the two students, who are believed to be about 13 years old. He said a school agent ran in the direction of the two boys after the shooting and prevented further violence.

In this image taken from a video courtesy of Ryan Laughlin / KOB 4 TV, Albuquerque Police Department officers search a student after a shooting at Washington Middle School that left at least one student dead and another in custody.

Investigators are trying to determine how the student obtained the gun and what could have caused the shooting, Hartsock said. He said that other students will be interviewed within the investigations of the detectives to try to decipher what happened.

The school ordered an emergency closure and parents were asked to pick up their children. Friday was the third day of school in the Albuquerque Public School District. Although the students will return until Tuesday, Elder noted that campus staff will make arrangements for students to have access to counseling and other support services they need.

Family members wait to pick up students after a fatal shooting at Washington Middle School in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“Of course it’s extremely difficult,” Hartsock said, referring to something like this happening so early in the school year. “There is a lot of pressure in the community. People are nervous. It was a terrible incident between two people. It should never have happened. This should not happen in the community. Certainly not in school either.”

Police said there will be more officers when the students return, in the hope that they will provide a sense of security and in case the students have any additional information about the shooting.