Shot Fired at Suburban Albuquerque High School, No Injuries

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

A shot was fired Thursday on the grounds of a suburban Albuquerque high school on the anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, high school massacre, but police and school officials said no one was injured and a suspect was in custody.

The V. Sue Cleveland High School in the community of Rio Rancho was evacuated just before school began, police said, and worried parents rushed to the school after getting calls from their children. More than 2,500 students attend the high school.

Rio Rancho Police Chief Stewart Steele said that a male student suspected of using a handgun to fire the shot before school started had been taken into custody and was being questioned by authorities. Steele said investigators still haven't determined a motive.

While there were no injuries and students at the school were quickly evacuated, the episode still sent shockwaves through the sprawling suburb north of New Mexico's largest city, Steele said.

"It was extremely scary," Steele said. "We just thank God it ended the way it did."

He said the student, who has not been identified by authorities, had fled the school after opening fire and left the weapon behind. The student was spotted by police 30 minutes after the shooting in dry wash near the school, Steele said.

He was caught running away, Steele said.

The shooting occurred around 7 a.m. before school was scheduled to start. Police believe the shot had been fired inside a hallway but didn't know if the shooter has pointed a gun at anyone.

Rio Rancho Superintendent V. Sue Cleveland, whose name dons the high school, said at least two students witnessed the gunshot. "They are doing as well as expected," she said.

School officials said on Twitter that all students were safe, and the district's other schools were open. They did not know when classes would resume.


Kristy Berberich said outside the high school that her 16-year-old son called her immediately after students heard a gunshot.
"I was worried sick but I knew he was safe," she said.

Police and school officials advised parents to stay away from the school and to await word on a plan to pick up students, who were taken to an arena about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the school.

The episode comes as thousands of students and others planned a moment of silence to remember the 14 students and three staff members killed last Valentine's Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the deadliest high school shooting in the nation's history.

That tragedy — along with a deadly shooting at New Mexico's Aztec High School in December 2017 — is helping to fuel debate in the state Legislature over an ambitious slate of bills related to firearms and school safety.

The arrival in January of a Democratic governor to succeed a pro-gun rights Republican has opened the door to calls for broader background checks on private gun sales and initiatives to remove firearms from the hands of people who may be suicidal or seen as a danger to others.

The gun-seizure measure was passed by the Democrat-led House late Wednesday following an emotionally charged debate. Outside the House chamber, about 30 high-school aged students gathered in the Capitol rotunda to mark the anniversary of the Parkland massacre. They received praise from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for pushing peacefully for new gun-safety regulations.

Additional initiatives would ensure teachers cannot carry firearms at schools and expand child neglect laws to encompass the secure storage of household firearms.

Democratic House Speaker Brian Egolf said the episode reinforces the need for gun safety reforms and infrastructure spending to secure schools.

In Rio Rancho, school buses shuttled students to the nearby event center as police cordoned off the school and blocked roads leading to the campus. While no details were immediately released about the suspect in custody or the circumstances of the gunshot, police planned a briefing later Thursday.

As today is the anniversary of the Parkland Shooting, I wonder if the shooter was inspired by Nikolas Cruz?

I knew there would be a shooting on Valentines day.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

RIO RANCHO, N.M. - Rio Rancho police are trying to figure out why a student fired a shot inside V. Sue Cleveland High School Thursday morning.

No one was hit by the bullet.

Rio Rancho Police Chief Stewart Steele said the suspect is a male student who was quickly located by officers in an arroyo near the school and taken into custody.

The weapon was found inside the school, but police would not say what type of gun was fired.

Students said they didn't immediately know what was going on, but rumors quickly started to circulate.

"At first, I thought that it was just a test in the morning because anything could happen in the morning," said Nahomey Medina, a freshman at the school. "I thought it was a test and when rumors started going around I started panicking. I thought maybe it was just a balloon pop because of Valentine's Day but then they said they smelt gun powder as well."

Students and staff were evacuated from the building after a brief lockdown.

Students with vehicles on campus were able to show ID and leave the campus in their vehicles, all other students and staff were bussed to the Santa Ana Star Event Center where parents and guardians were able to pick them up.

“We had a very good plan in place," said Rio Rancho Superintendent Sue Cleveland. "That plan was executed with precision. When people know what they’re supposed to do they do it well.”


Is it me or does this School looks similar to Columbine?

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

It does. You’re not wrong.

Holy shit, Ziamber was right. Thank god no one was hurt at least.

I noticed the gun he apparently used has an extended magazine even though he only fired one shot, my guess is that he either was tackled or put it down voluntarily.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

RIO RANCHO, N.M. - Rio Rancho police are trying to figure out why a student fired a shot inside V. Sue Cleveland High School Thursday morning.

The student has been identified as 16-year-old Joshua Owen.

He has been charged with attempt to commit a felony (Murder), unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon on school premises and unlawful possession of a handgun by a person less than 10 years of age.

Following the gunfire, which didn't hit anyone, Owen was quickly located by officers in an arroyo near the school and taken into custody.

“It was extremely, uh, extremely scary," said Chief Stewart Steele of the Rio Rancho Police Department. "I can’t imagine being a student here and what they went through."

The weapon was found inside the school, but police would not say what type of gun was fired. However, KOB has obtained numerous pictures of a handgun that was purportedly fired.

Students and staff were evacuated from the building after a brief lockdown.

Students with vehicles on campus were able to show ID and leave the campus in their vehicles, all other students and staff were bussed to the Santa Ana Star Event Center where parents and guardians were able to pick them up.

“We had a very good plan in place," said Rio Rancho Superintendent Sue Cleveland. "That plan was executed with precision. When people know what they’re supposed to do they do it well.”

Classes have been canceled for Friday. Students will return to school Tuesday, February 19.


Hopefully we'll find out a motive and more info on the shooter.

Here's an update for those who weren't keeping an eye on the whole situation.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

"A 16-year-old student texted his teacher “I’m sorry… but the voices won’t stop” moments after firing a gun inside a Rio Rancho school on Valentine’s Day.

Surveillance video captured Joshua Owen approaching a group of three students inside Cleveland High School before one student said he pointed the gun at them.

According to that same student, the gun at first didn’t go off, but Owen was able to manipulate it, pull the trigger and fire one shot.

No one was hit but the incident caused understandable panic among students and teachers.

“All the teachers are yelling, "Evacuate! You must get out of the building!” Mina, a freshman at the school said.

After firing the gun officers say Owen set the gun down and ran down the hallway and out of the building.

One of his teachers said she saw him running away from the area and at 7:25 a.m. she received a text message from him reading “I’m sorry Miss Sawyer but the voices won’t stop” and that he “putted the trigger.” He also asked his teacher if he hurt anyone and informed him that he was in the arroyo near his home.

Rio Rancho police located Owen in the arroyo about a mile away from the school and took him into custody.

Officers located Owen in the arroyo and took him into custody.

When they arrived to the patrol room, Owen told officer he had a note in his back pocket. The note contained a list that read:

   Find ex gf
   Kill ex gf
   Kill other people
   If You have a last bullet take your own life

He also told officers that he had another note at his home apologizing.

Owen said that he had been hearing voices that instructed him to carry out the actions listed in that note.

The teen was booked into the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center and is facing multiple charges.

At this point, police are not sure who the gun used Thursday belongs to or how Owen’s obtained it."


You think he regretted bringing a gun into the school before he fired that one shot? He had the chance to shoot all 3 of them, but he didn't.

looks like Atchison rose from the grave

Hopefully, he pleads insanity ASAP and gets some mental help. This guy clearly isn't the sanest tool in the shed.

NSAhoneypot wrote:

looks like Atchison rose from the grave

Hopefully, he pleads insanity ASAP and gets some mental help. This guy clearly isn't the sanest tool in the shed.

Insanity defenses rarely work in the United States. Whether you consider this to be a good or bad thing is your discretion.

School Massacre Archives wrote:

You think he regretted bringing a gun into the school before he fired that one shot? He had the chance to shoot all 3 of them, but he didn't.

Yeah I think so, and since he said "the voices won't stop", it seems like he has schizophrenia.