ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A deadly school shooting at Albuquerque’s Washington Middle School left a 13-year-old killed and another 13-year-old arrested. It was a tense and scary moment for students as they were outside eating their lunches when they heard gunshots and ran for safety. Some students were crying and some were in shock from what they saw.
An emotional reunion after a tragic day. The Albuquerque Police Department said a middle school student shot and killed another student Friday afternoon in the field next to the school. “This is my worst nightmare and I see it on the news all the time and this is only the third day,” said parent, Sequaria Asbury.
Parents waited outside the school anxious to see their kids, who were greeted with reassuring hugs. Students say they were taking their lunch break outside when it happened. “I witnessed a student pull out a weapon on another student,” said student Adrian Vallejos. “So I was about 40 feet away and as I was running back four or five shots were behind.”
At first, some thought the sound was just fireworks. “And then my friend told us it was gunshots so we should all go inside and so we did,” said another student Maleny Ibarra. “We grabbed our backpacks and everything and we ran inside.”
Story continues below:
- Community: What’s happening around New Mexico September 22 – September 28
- Education: APS explains decision behind no snow days policy
- Crime: Two suspects arrested in 11-year-old’s fatal shooting outside Isotopes Park
- New Mexico: New Mexico Public Regulation Commission approves $115 in credits to PNM customers
“And we look across the field and we just see him laying on the ground and the officer was running over there,” said student Amari Asbury. Then chaos followed. Students ran for safety, some leaving their backpacks behind in the field.
“It didn’t seem- nobody really did anything until shots were fired and then tons of students just ran,” said Vallejos.
“I ran inside the gym,” said Ibarra. Kids made phone calls no parent wants to hear. “I went into the gym and then I called my mom,” said Ibarra. “I told her that I heard gunshots but I’m okay.”
APD said this was an isolated shooting and an Albuquerque Public School resource officer immediately rushed in and put the student into custody. “These young kids never thought they would go through something like this. “It was crazy,” said Vallejos. “I’m speechless.”
There are about 430 students at the school. Officials say there will be no school on Monday. APD said there will be an increased police presence in the area when kids do go back to school. APD said if students have tips about what they saw or what led up to the shooting to contact them.
