FARMINGTON, N.M. (KRQE) – Farmington Police say the man who killed three people and wounded six others used an AR-15 rifle and two pistols to shoot people passing through his neighborhood Monday. Releasing new information at a news conference Wednesday, investigators say the shooter had access to at least ten other guns and roughly 1,400 round of ammunition.
Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe outlined a more detailed narrative of how the shooting took place Monday. Three victims were killed, six people were wounded and the 18-year-old shooter, Beau Wilson, was confronted and killed by police.
Farmington Police say the shooter used an AR-15 to fire at cars starting around 10:55 a.m. Monday in the front yard of his father’s home. The shooter was the only person at the residence when the incident began. Investigators recovered 141 of the 176 shell casings from the shooter’s home. They also say the shooter was wearing what may be homemade body armor with steel plates.
“The AR-15 he used initially, at the residence, fired a bunch of rounds off hitting several people,” Chief Hebbe said. “And then, discarded the weapon in some bushes near the residence, where we found it.”
The victims have been identified as Shirley Voita, 79, Melody Ivie, 73, and Gwendolyn Schofield, 97. A mother and daughter, Schofield and Ivie were pronounced dead on scene while Voita died at the hospital.
Investigators say the shooter then began walking along N. Dustin with a .22 caliber pistol and a 9mm pistol. Police now believe 7 homes and 11 vehicles were hit with gunfire during the incident.
The shooter was eventually confronted and killed by police in the front lawn of First Church of Christ, Scientist along N. Dustin Road. Within the shooter’s clothes, investigators found a hand written note.
“The note refers to this being his sort of final event and that if anyone messes with his sister, you know, there will be problems,” Hebbe said, describing the note found in the shooter’s pocket. “We’re trying to piece together exactly what that means, was there some sort of issue that we don’t know about? So far, we’ve not been able to find anyone that’s been able to go into details on that.”
Police say the shooter legally purchased the AR-15 in November 2022, roughly one month after he turned 18-years-old. Investigators say the shooter also purchased three magazines for the weapon just a few days before the Monday shooting. The two pistols are said to be owned by family members.
“Very emotional,” said Chief Hebbe in an interview with KRQE News 13, describing the nature of the investigation. “Just the unbelievable nature of it, and the senselessness of it, that’s the overall challenge, but then, the complexity of the scene, the distance that he roamed, the number of rounds that were fired, all of that plays into it.”
Six other people who were wounded in the shooting have since been treated and released from the hospital. They include Farmington Police Sergeant Rachel Discenza who was shot in the groin, and New Mexico State Police officer Andreas Stamatiadas. All of the wounded are recovering from non-life threatening injuries.
