New Mexico police ID victims, suspect in 'purely random' mass shooting

FARMINGTON, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexico investigators have identified the three deceased victims, the shooter, and the two officers injured in Farmington during a mass shooting Monday.

Farmington Police said the shooter killed three elderly women and wounded six others in what they believe was a “purely random” attack.

Police identified the three women as Shirley Voita, Melody Ivie and Gwendolyn Schofield. Two of the women were pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting and the third died at the hospital. Two of the victims were in their 70s, while the third victim was in her 90s.

Farmington Police Sergeant Rachel Discenza and New Mexico State Police Officer Andreas Stamatiadis are among the wounded victims expected to survive their injuries. Stamatiadis has been treated and released from the hospital, while Discenza is still said to be hospitalized with a wound to her pelvis. Four other victims who survived their injuries have not been identified.

Farmington Police said the shooter was 18-year-old high school student Beau Wilson, of Farmington. He was believed to be staying at a home near N. Dustin Road and Ute Street, where the shooting began around 10:56 a.m. Monday. The barrage of deadly gunshots spanned what police described as a “nearly quarter-mile crime scene.”

At a news conference Tuesday, police said investigators are still looking into a motive. However, they believe the shooting was random, as they said everyone who was wounded was shot while passing through the neighborhood.

Police said it was roughly eight minutes between the first 911 call and the suspect being killed by responding officers. In that time, the suspect fired shots from at least three weapons including an “AR-style rifle,” killing three people, according to police. The rifle was said to have been legally purchased by the suspect, while investigators believe two other weapons he used were taken from family members.

In total, at least six others were wounded, including the two police officers. Police did not release any additional information about the four civilians that were wounded, including the nature of their injuries.

“The event is difficult to understand,” Chief Hebbe said. “We are doing the best that we can [to] piece through [evidence], talk with family members of the suspect, piece through what was going on, look through the evidence to figure out what the motivation was.”

This is a developing news story. This post will be updated.