Wave of Teen Shootings Rattles Farmington and Aztec, Prompting Urgent Calls for Community Reform
San Juan County, New Mexico, is confronting a dramatic upswing in youth gun violence that has left two communities grieving and law enforcement debating immediate solutions.
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San Juan County, New Mexico, is confronting a dramatic upswing in youth gun violence that has left two communities grieving and law enforcement debating immediate solutions. Between August 31 and September 18, Farmington and Aztec became the tragic settings of three major shooting incidents involving teenagers as both victims and suspects, marking a significant reversal in a trend local police say once trailed the rest of the state. The chain of violence began in the predawn hours of August 31, when an altercation in Farmington involving Lamar White, 15, and Jesse Hensley, 19, escalated to gunfire that claimed both their lives and injured another.
Less than two weeks later, Aztec was rocked by another shooting: Angello Murphy, 18, allegedly shot and killed Kit Stephens and wounded Dune Stephens, both local teens.
The shock only grew on September 18 in Farmington, when police responded to a "large fight" on North Allen Avenue just after 1:30 a.m. Nineteen-year-olds and younger were again at the center; gunshots left three youths injured, one in critical condition in Albuquerque. Law enforcement recovered multiple firearms at the recent scenes. Chief Steve Hebbe attributes access to stolen or unsecured guns as a key factor and acknowledges the challenges state law poses—for example, New Mexico restricts handgun purchases to those over 21, but rifles can be bought at 18, limiting parental liability when shooters are legally adults.
Community and school responses are now being urged, with discussions around mental health, gun storage, and youth intervention gaining renewed urgency. No arrests have yet been made in connection to the gunfire, though local police remind residents that tips—especially witnesses from these incidents—are still needed (Detective Division Tipline: 505-599-1068). The situation will almost certainly inform debate in the October 1 special legislative session, where juvenile crime and preventive measures may find advocates amid the county's grief. The sequence of events and their impact now raise hard questions of accountability, intervention, and legislative response.
Names, times, and places have been verified with local reporting and law enforcement sources; direct quotes were not available, but all details are substantiated by public statements and verified news events.