State Police: Teenage boy shoots into vehicle, injuring 6-year-old, in southern New Mexico

A 14-year-old boy is accused of firing a spray of bullets into a vehicle and injuring a 6-year-old boy Friday in a small southwestern New Mexico town.

Officer Ray Wilson, a State Police spokesman, said the shooting occurred in Hurley and the child was airlifted to a hospital, adding on Saturday evening that “the extent of his injuries and current condition are not known.”

He said the teenage boy is being charged with attempted murder, shooting at a motor vehicle, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful carrying of a firearm by a minor.

Wilson did not identify the teen but said the boy has been booked into the Doña Ana County Juvenile Detention Center.

“Many details about this incident are still under investigation,” he said.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham sent out a statement Saturday urging New Mexicans ”to join me in praying for this innocent victim and his family.”

“As the facts of this case unfold, here’s what we know for sure: another child in New Mexico has been gravely harmed by gun violence. What’s more, it appears that another child may have pulled the trigger. This is incredibly wrong. It’s not normal. And we cannot allow this to continue to happen in our communities,” she said. “I will not stop fighting with every fiber of my being this horrific trend that plays out every day in our state.”

Wilson said Hurley police responded to the 200 block of D Street and discovered the child with gunshot wounds.

He said officers found the teen running away and detained him, finding ammunition and a dismantled handgun in his pockets.

Wilson said detectives learned the child was sitting in a car outside of a home when the teen was dropped off nearby. He said the teen fired multiple shots into the car, striking the child.

Wilson said the person who dropped off the teen drove away after dropping him off. He said first responders took the injured child to a hospital, but the boy was subsequently airlifted to a trauma center.