A 16-year-old boy in New Mexico has been arrested for an alleged quadruple homicide involving his family, authorities confirmed on Sunday, December 15.
The Valencia County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call early on Saturday, December 14, from a male minor who reportedly confessed, saying, “he had k!lled his family,” according to a statement by New Mexico State Police.
When deputies arrived at the scene in Belen, the teenager surrendered with his hands raised. Officials noted he appeared “extremely intoxicated.”
Inside the home, deputies found the bodies of Leonardo Leyva, 42, Adriana Bencomo, 35, Adrian Leyva, 16, and Alexander Leyva, 14, all with apparent gunshot wounds. A handgun was recovered on the kitchen table, according to police.
A Belen official confirmed to AFP that the victims were the suspect’s parents and two brothers. The teenager has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder.
Gun violence remains a pressing issue in the United States, where firearms outnumber the population, and gun laws are relatively lenient. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the country has recorded at least 484 mass shootings this year, defined as incidents involving four or more victims, either injured or killed.
