At least four people, including a suspect, were killed in a shooting on Monday, police said, in a New Mexico town that has experienced at least two other high-profile incidents of deadly gun violence in recent years.
The latest shooting unfolded in a residential area of Farmington, New Mexico, about 180 miles (290 km) northwest of Albuquerque, the state's largest city, but few additional details from authorities were immediately available.
What happened?
Two officers were wounded in an exchange of gunfire with the suspect, who was killed at the scene, and there were multiple civilian victims, at least three of whom died, the Farmington Police Department said.
The shooter, who was not immediately identified, was believed to have acted alone, police said. There was no information provided about the three victims who perished.
The two injured officers, one from the Farmington department and one from New Mexico State Police, were listed in stable condition at San Juan Regional Medical Center, according to police.
Law enforcement closed off seven blocks around the shooting scene, an area that encompasses the grounds of two churches, police said.
The gun violence also prompted security lockdowns at several public schools in Farmington, a city of about 46,000 residents. Police said after the suspect was killed that there was no longer a threat to the public, and the lockdowns were lifted.
“I am deeply upset by the tragic violence that unfolded today in Farmington. I am praying for the families of the victims, the wounded and the entire community of Farmington following this horrific tragedy.
— Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (@GovMLG) May 15, 2023
"This serves as yet another reminder of how gun violence destroys lives in our state and our country every single day," New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement.
Monday's bloodshed occurred in the same town in which police last month killed an armed homeowner at his own house, then exchanged gunfire with his wife, after officers showed up at the wrong address in response to a domestic violence call.
Farmington also was the scene of a deadly high school shooting in December 2017 in which a gunman killed two students before taking his own life.