Man, 18, arrested in fatal shooting in University of New Mexico dorm
The campus reopened on Saturday, the university said in a news release.
The suspect, John Fuentes, was arrested around 2:30 p.m. local time Friday in Los Lunas, 25 miles south of Albuquerque and about 13 hours after the shooting at Casas del Rio housing complex.Fuentes was taken into custody at 3 a.m. Saturday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque.
He is facing charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence, New Mexico State Police said.
Fuentes was arrested during a traffic stop on Highway 314 in Valencia County.
Several agencies, including state police, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office and Albuquerque police, looked for Fuentes.
Fuentes was one of four teenagers playing video games in a dorn room, New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler said at a news conference.
According to court documents Saturday obtained by KOAT-TV, Fuentes went to the dorm parking lot in his father's vehicle.
At 10:20 p.m., he met with the 14-year-old and another person, police said.
A fourth person told authorities they were playing video games, and the Fuentes appeared to be on drugs. The victim was shot in the head.
He said they fled through a window.
Police said Fuentes first went to his car and then wound up on the first story of the housing building where he injured himself while smashing several windows. Blood stains, a stolen Glock 9mm handgun, keys and a pair of blue jeans were left on the roof, police said.
Two people picked him up in a pickup around 1:40 a.m., police said.
Gunfire was detected after midnight at the dormitory. At 1:36 a.m., police responded to an alarm from the dorm building.
They found a broken window and what appeared to be blood, Weisler said. Police found the dead 14-year-old inside the dorm. The young teen hasn't been identified.
At 2:30 a.m., a 19-year-old man arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound.
The university first reported the incident at 3:27 a.m. via Lobo Alerts. Central campus had been closed 'out of an abundance of caution,' the school posted on X.
For about five hours people were told to shelter in place. Late Friday, the university said the campus would reopen Saturday with all planned activities. The dormitory also reopened, the school posted on X.
'This is a tragic incident that has had a deep impact on our entire community,' Weisler said.
The University of Mexico has about 22,000 students enrolled but much fewer during the summer. More than 400 students were attending new student orientation and were staying in the dormitories.
'We understand this incident may be especially distressing for new students and their families,' University President Garnett S. Stokes said in a statement. 'We want to assure everyone that we are fully committed to your safety and well-being.'
Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
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