Safety & Security

Student faces charges after gunfire inside New Mexico high school

No one was injured when 16-year-old opened fire inside Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho.
Feb. 15, 2019

A 16-year-old boy suspected of opening fire inside a New Mexico high school has been charged with three counts of attempted murder.

The Las Cruces Sun News reports that although no one was injured in the incident at Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho, N.M., the incident sparked an evacuation and had worried parents rushing to the school on the anniversary of the Parkland, Fla., high school massacre.

Rio Rancho police say the male student also is facing a felony count of unlawfully carrying a deadly weapon on school grounds. His identity has not been disclosed.

The suspect fled the school after the Thursday morning shooting and left the weapon behind. He was spotted by police 30 minutes after the shooting and was caught running away.

More than 2,500 students attend the high school.

School officials said on Twitter that all students were safe.

The episode comes as 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.

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy, senior editor, has written for AS&U on a wide range of educational issues since 1999.

Sign up for American School & University Newsletters