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NORTHERN NEW MEXICO
Santa Fe Police reopen section of St. Francis Drive but are unable to locate man accused of shooting from rooftop
Officers reported hearing shots fired west of Calle Mejia, seek public's assistance
SANTA FE — Santa Fe Police Department reopened a section of St. Francis Drive near Santa Fe Spa late afternoon Thursday after responding to multiple reports of shots fired and failing to locate a man who allegedly fired a rifle from a nearby rooftop.
In an update Thursday evening, Deputy Police Chief Ben Valdez said in a press release that the department is asking the public to report any suspicious persons or other information related to Thursday's incident to 505-428-3710.
Officers from Santa Fe Police Department, New Mexico State Police and Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office canvassed the area of the closure between N.M. 599 and Alamo Drive for hours on Thursday in response to a report of the male shooter, who reportedly fired a rifle from the roof of a business in the 800 block of Calle Mejia.
Police said the report came in around 1:12 p.m., drawing a police response that included the use of aerial drones, aircraft and special operations personnel.
Officers informed nearby residents of the road closure by performing a "reverse 911" and disseminating a post across social media channels.
During their search, officers said they heard the sound of gunfire west of Calle Mejia but were unable to locate a suspect following a search.
Police are asking residents and business owners within the area of the shelter-in-place order to check for property damage and review security footage for any clues as to the incident and the reported shooter.
The case remains under investigation.
Valdez said the incident is unrelated to an arrest of a 33-year-old Santa Fe woman who was accused of attacking a police officer with a sledgehammer and threatening to burn down her residence in the 200 block of Villeros Street early Thursday morning. That incident also led law enforcement to close a section of St. Francis Drive.
John Miller is the Albuquerque Journal’s northern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at jmiller@abqjournal.com.
