Four Albuquerque students arrested this week after firearms found on APS campuses

The ninth and 10th firearms to make their way onto Albuquerque Public Schools campuses this school year were seized by authorities Wednesday afternoon at Valley High School and Friday afternoon at Cleveland Middle School.

“I’m reaching out to inform you of a troubling incident at our school this afternoon. I am deeply saddened to inform you that a gun was confiscated from two students,” Amy Lissick, principal of Cleveland Middle School, wrote in a letter to parents Friday.

The two students were 13- and 14-year-old boys. The gun was found in one of the student’s waistbands, according to APS spokesperson Martin Salazar. He confirmed the students were arrested. It’s unclear if the students are facing charges.

In her letter, Lissick wrote, “I want to reassure you that the students found in possession of the gun did not express any intention of harming themselves or others. But the presence of any weapon on school grounds is a serious violation of our policies.”

Lissick also expressed her gratitude “for the swift response and effective de-escalation exhibited by my staff and the Albuquerque Public Schools Police Department,” and encouraged people to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.

Earlier this week, a student at Valley High School was arrested after a firearm was recovered at a park near the high school.

“I am writing to address a highly concerning incident that unfolded this afternoon. We were informed that a student flashed a gun,” Anthony Griego, principal of Valley High School, wrote in a letter to parents. “The possession of any weapon, particularly a gun, on our campus is a severe violation of our rules and regulations. This incident warrants severe consequences for the students involved, up to and including expulsion and prosecution.”

The student, Ramon Chavez, 18, is charged with unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon on school premises, a fourth-degree felony. The district confirmed Chavez is a student at the high school.

On Wednesday, Albuquerque police officers were dispatched to the Valley Neighborhood Park in the 4000 block of San Isidro NW, after a domestic dispute was reported, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Chavez and another teen were in their vehicle when officers stopped them, believing that the two were involved in the domestic dispute, the complaint states. Valley High School Assistant Principal Terry Dahl was on the scene and reportedly searched the front seat of the vehicle.

“Dahl announced out loud he had a gun in a backpack in the vehicle,” the complaint states.

Officers secured the vehicle and had it towed and Chavez and the teen were transported to an APD substation, according to the complaint.

Police reviewed video footage from the school and saw that Chavez was wearing the backpack with the gun inside of it, the complaint states. The teen told officers that school police had stopped the two as they were leaving, and Chavez told the teen that he had a gun in his backpack.

“Chavez admitted he got the gun on campus from an unknown individual,” according to the complaint. “Chavez stated the gun was in his backpack on campus.”

The recovered gun marked the fifth firearm Valley High School has seen since students returned to classrooms in 2021.

On Aug. 20, five guns were recovered on or near three APS high schools, the highest number the district has seen in a single day. Since then, five more have been confiscated from students.

One firearm was recovered after an online APS student picking up their sibling from Jackson Middle School allegedly pointed a gun at a crossing guard.

On Sept. 26 at Manzano High School, a firearm was found in a student’s backpack and another was recovered on Oct. 3 at Albuquerque High after another student was found with a gun on their person.

The guns recovered this week mark the 69th and 70th near or on an APS campus — including charter schools which the district doesn’t oversee day to day operations at — since students returned to classrooms after the pandemic.