No Fatalities, Minors Found on Scene
GRANTS, N.M. - The early morning of July 18 was rocked by gunfire in Grants, New Mexico. Several shots rang off near the Lobo Canyon Apartments in what police called, “a drive-by shooting.” There were no fatalities or injuries during the shooting.
When police arrived, shortly after the first bullets rang off around 5 a.m., they discovered two vehicles and multiple minor children in the area.
Grants Police Chief Jeff Marez said that all suspects involved in the alleged shooting were minors. Two vehicles were involved, a black truck and a white four-door passenger car. Marez said the truck appears to have been the aggressor in this incident. The minors included a mix of boys and girls.
“This appears to have been a targeted attack,” Marez said. As police began their investigation, they quickly realized that several of the minors involved were allegedly intoxicated by liquor. Parents were called to take the minors home. As of press time, no charges have been filed and nobody has been arrested. Police are actively working to determine the motive behind this shooting.
This case is still under investigation by Grants Police Department, which is currently suffering through staffing issues largely thanks to state-mandated training which is taking several of their officers off the street.
Marez said that because the suspects are minors, public information about this case is limited. Crimes involving minors has seen an increase across Cibola County, with area law enforcement saying this is typical of the summer months when school is out of session. Gun violence involving minors is rare in Cibola, this is the first case of such violence in the county this year.
Chief Marez said that some eyewitnesses have been interviewed over the incident, and that anyone with information about the shooting should call the police department at 505-287-2984, anonymous callers can contact Cibola County CrimeStoppers at 505-287-8400.