Shooting at University of New Mexico Dorm Kills 14-Year-Old, Suspect Arrested
An early Friday shooting at a University of New Mexico dormitory left a 14-year-old boy dead and a 19-year-old injured, prompting a campuswide lockdown. Authorities evacuated hundreds of students as police searched for the suspect, who was later taken into custody around 2:30 p.m., according to New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler.
The shelter-in-place order was lifted by late afternoon, though the Albuquerque campus remains closed amid an ongoing investigation. Students have been allowed back into dorms but are urged to avoid the crime scene.
Family members embrace at the University of New Mexico Central Campus after a deadly shooting at Casas del Rio (Gila), a student housing center, early Friday, July 25, 2025 in Albuquerque, N.M.(Chancey Bush | Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)
A 14-year-old boy was fatally shot early Friday during a gathering in a University of New Mexico dorm room where four people, including the suspect, had been playing video games, campus police said.
One 19-year-old man was also wounded and sought treatment at a hospital. Authorities said the motive for the shooting is under investigation, and charges are being prepared.
The incident triggered a campus wide alert around 3:30 a.m., with a shelter-in-place order issued after 6 a.m. and evacuations carried out for safety.
“We had a student orientation going—about 400 kids in the dorms—so we wanted to make sure they were safe,” said UNM Police Lt. Tim Delgado.
Authorities investigate a deadly shooting at Casas del Rio (Gila), a student housing center at the University of New Mexico Central Campus. early Friday, July 25, 2025 in Albuquerque, N.M.(Chancey Bush | Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)
Police Investigate Dorm Shooting as UNM Students Evacuate Amid Tense Atmosphere
For much of the day, police cordoned off the area surrounding a University of New Mexico student housing complex, with yellow tape and patrol cars blocking nearby roads as investigators combed the scene.
Mikey Beck, a prospective freshman attending new student orientation, said he was startled overnight by the sound of gunfire. He claimed to have seen someone injured, hiding in nearby bushes, and watched as two others leapt from a dorm window and fled.
Beck, who had looked forward to beginning his college journey, said the experience was unsettling.
“It’s really sketchy out here. Just being in Albuquerque is really scary,” he remarked.
Not far from the scene, a line of university buses stood ready as students—many hauling backpacks and rolling luggage—were evacuated. The university initiated what officials called a “staged, tactical evacuation,” according to spokesperson Cinnamon Blair. Students were instructed to await direction from campus police before moving.
New Mexico State Police are on scene at the University of New Mexico Central Campus while authorities investigate a deadly shooting at Casas del Rio (Gila), a student housing center, early Friday, July 25, 2025, in Albuquerque, N.M.(Chancey Bush | Chancey Bush/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)
The university in central Albuquerque has about 23,000 students during the school year. New students like Beck have been visiting as part of scheduled orientations ahead of the fall semester, which begins in about three weeks.
An increased law enforcement presence on and around the campus was planned for coming days, university President Garnett Stokes said in a letter to the campus community.
“We understand this incident may be especially distressing for new students and their families who are here this week for orientation,” Garnett wrote.
Mayor Tim Keller said his thoughts were with the victim’s loved ones and the university community.
Mayor Tim Keller expressed grief Friday following a deadly shooting on the University of New Mexico campus, saying, “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of life that occurred today.”
The incident has further spotlighted New Mexico’s ongoing struggle with violent crime, particularly involving juveniles. District Attorney Sam Bregman, currently seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, renewed calls for legislative action, describing the situation as a crisis.
His plea comes amid a string of violent incidents involving young suspects, including a fatal hit-and-run in Albuquerque and a mass shooting in Las Cruces in March that left three dead and 15 injured.
Law enforcement, prosecutors, and Republican lawmakers continue to urge Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to convene a special legislative session to address the crime surge. Despite previously criticizing the Democratic-controlled Legislature for inaction, the governor has not signaled any immediate plans to recall lawmakers to Santa Fe.
