During a news conference held on Tuesday, officials reported that an 18-year-old gunman opened fire into people’s cars and houses in Farmington, New Mexico on Monday, resulting in the deaths of a mother and daughter. The shooting was indiscriminate in nature. According to officials, a gunman was killed after three individuals were fatally shot and two police officers were injured.
Three elderly women, aged between their 70s and over 90, have been reported dead. Gwendolyn Schofield, aged 97, along with her daughter Melody Ivie, aged 73, and Shirley Voita, aged 79, have been identified.
According to the police, the three individuals were driving through the neighborhood at the time of the shooting. According to reports, two individuals passed away at the scene of the incident, while one succumbed to her injuries later at San Juan Regional Medical Center.
During Tuesday’s briefing, the police disclosed that the perpetrator behind the shooting incident was a student of Farmington High School, identified as Beau Wilson. According to investigators, the shooting occurred without any known motive or target. According to the police, the suspect was found to have multiple addresses on record and was residing in a residence located in the vicinity where the shooting took place.
According to Deputy Chief Kyle Dowdy of the Farmington Police Department, the gunman discharged multiple firearms, including a “AR-style rifle,” at around 10:56 a.m. in the vicinity of Ute and North Dustin Streets. This was revealed during a press conference. Reports of an active shooter in the area were received by the police almost immediately. According to Dowdy, officers arrived at the scene at 11:02 a.m. and the shooter was pronounced dead by 11:06 a.m.
When questioned by a reporter about the number of rounds fired, Dowdy stated that the police have discovered around 150 rounds so far within the “nearly quarter-mile crime scene.” According to his statement, it remains unclear as to how many individuals were shot by the perpetrator versus law enforcement officials.
According to police, the shooter legally acquired one of the firearms in November 2022, just a month after reaching 18 years of age. According to police, it is currently unclear how he acquired the other firearms. However, they suspect that he may have obtained them through his family members.
According to Dowdy, Wilson had committed minor criminal offenses as a juvenile, but nothing that would have caught their attention. During an interview, family members informed the police that the individual in question was grappling with mental health problems. However, Dowdy, a police official, warned that it was still early in the investigation and the entire situation had not yet been fully comprehended.
In a statement released on Monday afternoon, the Farmington Police Department reported that two officers, Rachel Discenza and Andreas Stamatiadas, were shot and are currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital. Both officers are said to be in stable condition. Discenza is a member of the Farmington Police Department, while Stamatiadas serves with the New Mexico State Police. According to police, Discenza was released from the hospital on Monday night.