A 16-year-old boy in New Mexico has been arrested in connection with the alleged murder of his family, authorities confirmed on Sunday, December 15.
The Valencia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call early Saturday, December 14, from a teenage boy who reportedly told the dispatcher, “he had killed his family,” according to a statement by New Mexico State Police.
When deputies arrived at the home in Belen, the teenager surrendered with his hands raised. Authorities noted that he appeared “extremely intoxicated.”
Inside the residence, deputies discovered the bodies of Leonardo Leyva, 42, Adriana Bencomo, 35, Adrian Leyva, 16, and Alexander Leyva, 14. All four victims had suffered gunshot wounds, and a handgun was found on the kitchen table, police said.
Officials confirmed that the victims were the suspect’s parents and two brothers. The teenager is now facing four counts of first-degree murder.
This tragic incident adds to the ongoing issue of gun violence in the United States, where firearms outnumber the population, and gun laws are relatively lax.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 484 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, defined as incidents involving four or more victims either injured or killed.
