GRANTS, N.M. – On the 700 Block of Flagstaff Avenue in Grants, N.M., in the night of November 7 gunfire struck at least one house, with no reported injuries. The next morning, reports came in about nine gunshots going off in the area around Estancia Avenue in Grants, N.M. These incidents come around the time that GPD’s resources are stretched while helping to close roads to keep firefighters safe during the area’s recent fires, despite this pressure the department is staying active against all threats to keep the streets safe.
The Nov. 7 shooting is under investigation, GPD Interim Chief Jeff Marez said that there were no reported injuries, at least one house was struck by gunfire, and by the time officers arrived on scene, everybody was gone. GPD is actively investigating this shooting, as of press time the investigation was yielding positive results, according to Marez.
In the early morning of Nov. 8, calls came in to both the Cibola Citizen and the 911 dispatch about gunshots on Estancia Ave. The shooting prompted a quick response by GPD, who carefully canvassed the area but were unable to locate any shell casings from spent bullets. During the course of their investigation, officers determined that no vehicles or houses were struck by a bullet, according to Marez, no shooting injuries had been reported by the press time in connection with this incident.
The shootings come at a time that GPD has had their resources strained. While handling regular calls and assisting people in their traditional capacity, police officers have been called to assist firefighters in securing the scenes of their fires. Cibola’s firefighting teams have been out in full force protecting the community lately against fires, while they protect community property, police officers block roads to keep the firefighters safe.
In the process, GPD’s resources have been strained. On November 7, the night of the Route 66 Hotel fire, GPD had to call the Cibola County Sheriff’s Office for help fielding 911 calls. Interim Chief Marez thanked the sheriff’s office for their assistance.
Despite the recent strain on resources, Marez said that GPD is out in force and actively working to keep the community safe.