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The alleged gunman in a fatal shooting at a University of New Mexico dormitory on Friday was taken into custody after an hours-long manhunt, New Mexico State Police confirmed.
The agency said John Fuentes, 18, was arrested after one person was killed and another was injured in a shooting on the Albuquerque campus. Fuentes was located and taken into custody in neighboring Valencia County without incident at around 2:30 p.m. on Friday – more than 12 hours after the shooting took place.
He is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and tampering with evidence.
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Fuentes is accused of killing a 14-year-old boy inside a dorm room in the Casas Del Rio housing complex on campus early Friday morning.
New Mexico State Police said campus police responded to an alarm at Mesa Vista Hall at 1:36 a.m. to find broken windows and what they believed was blood. Campus police also received a phone call from a woman stating that she had a family member on campus who heard gunshots.
Around the same time, campus police received a call from the University of New Mexico Hospital stating a 19-year-old came in with a gunshot wound and said he had been shot on campus.
Campus police then began sweeping the surrounding buildings, which is when they located the 14-year-old boy dead from gunshot wounds, New Mexico State Police said.
According to police, Fuentes was hanging out in the room with three other people when he started firing a gun. The young teenager was struck and killed while the others, including Fuentes, ran from the room.
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The investigation remains in the preliminary stages and it’s unclear why Fuentes allegedly had a gun on campus and what led up to the shooting as of early Saturday morning.
The shooting happened as new students and their families were on campus for orientation, UNM President Garnett Stokes said in a statement.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and horrified by this act of violence in our campus community,” he said. “Our thoughts and prayers go to the loved ones and friends of those lost and injured. This is certainly a difficult moment, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, angry, or afraid.”
University officials temporarily closed its Albuquerque central campus and issued a shelter-in-place order.
The shooting remains under investigation and is being led by the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau.
Fox News Digital’s Tessa Hoyos contributed to this report.
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