A 16-year-old boy in New Mexico is in custody following an alleged quadruple homicide involving his family, police confirmed on Sunday, December 15.
The Valencia County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call early Saturday, December 14, from a male minor who reportedly told the dispatcher, “he had k!lled his family,” according to a statement by New Mexico State Police.
When deputies arrived at the residence in Belen, the teenager emerged with his hands raised. Authorities noted that he appeared “extremely intoxicated.”
Upon entering the home, deputies discovered the bodies of Leonardo Leyva, 42, Adriana Bencomo, 35, Adrian Leyva, 16, and Alexander Leyva, 14. All four victims had apparent gunshot wounds, and a handgun was found on the kitchen table, police reported.
A Belen official confirmed to AFP that the victims were the suspect’s parents and two brothers. The teenager now faces four counts of first-degree murder.
Fatal shootings remain a grim reality in the United States, where firearms outnumber people, and gun laws are comparatively lenient.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, the country has experienced at least 484 mass shootings this year. These are defined as incidents involving four or more victims, either injured or deceased.