Gunman who killed 3 in Farmington, NM was high school senior, fired indiscriminately: police
FARMINGTON ― Farmington Police identified the gunman who shot and killed three people and injured several others Monday as 18-year-old Beau Wilson, a Farmington High School student.
Farmington police said during a Tuesday, May 16 news conference at the Farmington Civic Center that Wilson, who was shot dead by officers during the incident, purchased the rifle in November 2022, shortly after his birthday in October.
Wilson also used two handguns that belonged to relatives in the shooting, but Deputy Chief Kyle Dowdy said police did not know how he had obtained them.
Farmington Municipal School District spokesman Robert Taboada said Wilson was a senior at the school and was enrolled in classes, but he said he could not say if Wilson was due to graduate with his class, which was scheduled to go through commencement exercises on May 16. He said the district would not have any more information to release about Wilson until May 17.
Dowdy said Wilson walked down North Dustin Avenue in Farmington shortly before 11 a.m. Monday firing indiscriminately.
Deputy Chief Baric Crum said investigators had counted approximately 150 rounds that were fired over the quarter-mile crime scene, but he expected that number to go up as the investigation continued.
It took the four responding police officers minutes to locate Wilson after several calls reporting shots fired in the neighborhood.
By then Wilson had already shot and killed three people: Shirley Voita, 79, Melody Ivie, 73, and Gwendolyn Schofield, 98. Two of the women shot were mother and daughter, though law enforcement did not make clear which of the victims were related.
Among those injured were Farmington Police Sgt. Rachel Discenza, a 10-year veteran of the department who was shot in the pelvis during the encounter, and New Mexico State Police Officer Andreas Stamatiadas. Stamatiadas and Dicenza were treated for their injuries and released.
Dowdy said the responding officers fired at least 16 shots at Wilson, killing him in front of a local church.
Dowdy and Crum said numerous other people were treated for injuries at the hospital or at the scene. Crum said not all those people were shot, explaining that some of them were injured when Wilson shot at the vehicle they were riding in and the windshield or windows shattered.
Dowdy said police have been unable to establish any link between the gunman and his victims.
“There’s nothing to suggest he knew any of the people,” he said, describing Wilson’s choice of victims as arbitrary.
Police said Wilson’s family members indicated during interviews with investigators that the student may have been experiencing some mental health issues. Wilson lived in Farmington but had multiple addresses, Dowdy said.
Crum said Wilson had a few minor infractions on his juvenile record, but there was nothing in his history to suggest he was capable of performing such an act or that would have prevented him from legally purchasing an assault rifle.
All the victims who were injured in the shooting were riding in a vehicle at the time of the incident, police said, adding that no pedestrians or people inside a home were shot.
San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari said his agency is handling the officer-involved shooting aspect of the incident, while the Farmington Police Department is handling the criminal investigation.
Crum said one of the officers in the group confronting Wilson was armed with a long rifle and another had a shotgun. The other two officers were armed with handguns, he said.
Farmington police are planning daily afternoon briefings on the investigation into the shooting as they unearth more information. Chief Steve Hebbe was in Pennsylvania for a family wedding at the time of the shooting and was traveling back to the city during Tuesday’s news conference.
Farmington Mayor Nate Duckett said a vigil for the victims would be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 17 at the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park, 3041 E. Main St.
Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 ormeasterling@daily-times.com.
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