During a high school graduation ceremony in Albuquerque (United States), a 21-year-old man shot his mother-in-law on Wednesday. Wounded in the neck, the victim, who attended his son’s graduation, was taken to hospital but is expected to survive his injuries, according to the local channel Fox10.
The shot was fired shortly before 5 p.m. local time at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Informed by witnesses who initially believed it was a shooting, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) quickly responded to the scene and discovered the victim. “Her stepson arrived, and as she began to squeeze [son fils] in her arms, he pulled out a handgun and shot her in the neck,” APD said in a statement.
The author held down by passers-by
“As you can imagine, chaos reigned at that time,” Gilbert Gallegos, APD communications director, told reporters. Another mother present at the high school ceremony, which was attended by around 100 people, said that the congregation had first thought of a firecracker or a balloon. “We all hunkered down,” she said.
The shooter was held down by passers-by while waiting for the police to arrive. He was then taken into custody and charged with battery, use of a firearm, unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon and negligent use of a deadly weapon. For the moment, the motive for the crime is still unknown. On Wednesday, police said the victim was “conscious and able to speak to officers.”