A shooting in Rio Rancho Oct. 30 left a 15-year-old fatally injured, according to family members and the Rio Rancho Police Department.
Adrian Maestas Jr., a former student and football player at Rio Rancho High School, died Nov. 1, family members said.
Maestas was taken to an area hospital, according to an Oct. 31 release from RRPD, after being shot in the head near the intersection of Inca Road and 2nd Street SE. It is unclear if Maestas lived near where the shooting occurred.
Maestas’ family announced on social media Friday that he “passed away around midnight.”
The release said, “officers arrived on scene and located the juvenile male with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Rio Rancho Police and Rio Rancho Fire Rescue began rendering life saving aid.”
It is the second shooting case involving a juvenile in Rio Rancho in less than a week. Shots were fired at a house party on Dona Ana Loop NE on Oct. 26. Police are also investigating that incident.
In an interview with the Signpost, Maestas’ sister Tristyn Garcia said her brother was last seen with a person she did not know at 3:45 p.m. and was shot around 4:10 p.m. Garcia shared the first name and a photo of the person seen with her brother on social media Thursday. The Signpost declined to share that information because police have yet to confirm if the person is a suspect in the shooting.
“He’s just the last person. I don’t know if he was involved, or if he was the one who pulled the trigger,” Garcia said. “We have no idea. We just know that my brother was seen with him last and we haven’t been able to locate him.”
RRPD said the investigation is ongoing and the department’s “Criminal Investigations Division is following up all leads to identify all persons involved in this incident in order to file appropriate criminal charges which will lead to successful prosecution.”
“We extend our deepest sympathy to everyone affected by this tragedy. Our hearts go out to all those impacted, and we stand with you during this difficult time,” RRPD Capt. Jacquelynn Reedy said in the release. “In the City of Rio Rancho, community safety is our highest priority. We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels secure and protected in their neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools. Violence in any form will not be tolerated, and we are resolute in upholding a zero-tolerance approach to any actions that threaten the well-being of our residents.”
Rio Rancho Public Schools released a statement Friday afternoon extending condolences to Maestas’ family and friends.
“A sudden death can be very unsettling, and we are here to offer support and care. Administrators have developed a plan to help students and staff cope with this loss,” RRPS said in the statement. “In addition, special support assistance has been made available to students in need and will continue to be available as we move forward from this tragedy. If you have any concerns about your child’s reaction to this loss, please contact your child’s school counselors, social workers or administrative staff.”
RRPS also said it “is cooperating with the Rio Rancho Police Department and other law enforcement agencies to help ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Detective Arion Hayes at ahayes@rrnm.gov.
“We want to bring awareness to this case, and we want to bring justice to whoever did this to my brother,” Garcia said. “I think we could always do that as a community better than just one person trying to do it by themselves.”