Charges dropped against teen in New Mexico school shooting

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) — A teen accused of firing a gun at a New Mexico high school last year on the anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, shooting has been released and his charges have been dismissed.

Sandoval County District Attorney Lemuel Martinez told reporters last week that state health officials and the children’s psychiatric hospital refused to treat the suspect, who was 16 at the time of his arrest.

The teen had been found incompetent to stand trial and was being held at the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center.

But Martinez says state law mandates that the suspect be released if there is no place to treat his competency.

Police said the teen opened fire at Cleveland High School in the Albuquerque suburb of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, before leaving the gun behind and running away. No one was hurt.

After the teen was arrested, he gave officers a “to-do list” he had in his pocket indicating he wanted to kill his ex-girlfriend, kill other people and then kill himself, according to a police affidavit.

The Associated Press is not naming the suspect because of his age. He faced charges of attempting to commit murder and unlawfully carrying a deadly weapon onto school grounds.