Las Cruces man jailed after threatening school shooting

LAS CRUCES — A 25-year-old man is in jail on a firearms charge after allegedly threatening to “shoot up a school.”

According to a federal criminal complaint, the social networking app TikTok alerted the FBI to a comment posted the morning of Dec. 16 by an account connected to Dion Torres of Las Cruces.

The comment allegedly stated: "l'm shoot up a school tomorrow time to kill kids.”

The account was traced to an IP address that led city police, including a detective assigned to an FBI task force, to the household where Torres lived. The complaint alleges that Torres smoked a large quantity of cannabis, which is legal for adult use in New Mexico, in the presence of officers, stating it was for medical use. The family disclosed that Torres also kept a firearm in his room, the complaint continues.

These and other personal disclosures made by Torres and his family about his health and personal history prompted the Las Cruces Police Department to seek an extreme risk protective firearm order under New Mexico’s “red flag” law. The 2020 law provides for temporarily restricting access to firearms if a judge agrees and allows respondents the right to a hearing.

The LCPD petition alleged there was probable cause to believe Torres “poses a significant danger of causing imminent personal injury to self or others” while in possession of a firearm, citing evidence of controlled substance use, behavioral health history and a pattern of violence or violent threats.

State District Judge James T. Martin issued an order on Dec. 17 for Torres to turn over his firearms ahead of a January hearing to consider a one-year firearm protective order.

According to the complaint, police located the firearm — described as a fully-loaded AR-style pistol with 121 rounds of ammunition, including some with armor-piercing tips — sitting on Torres’ bed. Police said that when they announced they were seizing the firearm, Torres retorted, “If I wanted to shoot up a school I already would have.”

Torres was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by one who is “an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance.” On Tuesday, he remained in custody awaiting the appointment of a federal public defender. No detention hearing or other proceedings were yet scheduled.