Teen killed in Clovis shooting

A 15-year-old boy was shot and killed Monday evening after a gun accidentally discharged while a group of teens was playing with it, the Clovis Police Department said. 

Clovis police were dispatched around 3:30 p.m. Monday after receiving a report that a teenager had been shot, according to a news release shared on the department's Facebook page Tuesday.

Officers arrived and the teen was transported to the Plains Regional Medical Center. The teen did not survive his injuries, the release states. Police did not release the name of the person killed.

A witness told police that multiple teens had been playing with guns in a bedroom, according to the release. 

"According to a witness, one of the juveniles was handling a firearm that was believed to be unloaded when it discharged," police said. 

Clovis Police Chief Trevor Thron said in a statement that the victim's friends "fled the residence and took the reported firearms with them" following the shooting.

Police have identified the shooter as a 16-year-old, and a warrant has been issued on charges of involuntary manslaughter, minor in possession of a handgun, tampering with evidence and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Police did not identify the boy charged, but Thron said more information will be released once the alleged shooter has been arrested.

In a statement, Thron pointed to another recent incident — in which two teenagers were arrested in a double homicide after one of them reportedly enlisted a friend to shoot and kill his parents as they slept to steal their money — to warn the public about the "continued rise in violent juvenile crime."

In that case, the 18-year-old and 19-year-old were arrested and booked into the Curry County Detention Center, where they are awaiting trial.

"The reality is that gun culture among our youth has become alarmingly prevalent, not just in Clovis, but across New Mexico," Thron said. "I regularly speak with other police chiefs and law enforcement leaders who are facing the same challenges, often on an even larger scale. Sadly, Clovis is not immune to this epidemic."

Anyone with information about the Monday incident is asked to contact Clovis police at 575-769-1921 or to report anonymously by calling the Curry County Crime Stoppers at 575-763-7000.

Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.