Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Tucumcari’s police chief requested more law-enforcement presence last week in the wake of a social-media threat that targeted numerous schools in New Mexico, including Tucumcari’s.
Chief Patti Lopez said the threat, which identified no specific school, came from Facebook and Snapchat.
She provided to the Quay County Sun a screen-capped image of the threat. It stated a school and an Albertsons Market “would get shot by me and 17 other people” at 2:30 on May 10. It also stated a bomb would go off on that day at 6:00.
“… So stay away from the school if you wanna live,” it stated, adding it would be the biggest school shooting in history.
Lopez said she doubted the threat targeted Tucumcari because the city doesn’t have an Albertsons. The closest is in Clovis.
Regardless, she said she requested additional presence that day from city police, Quay County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police and the District Attorney’s Office.
She also said law enforcement also was informed to keep an eye on Logan, San Jon and House schools in the county.
“We wanted to err on the side of caution,” Lopez said Thursday.
According to other media reports, the threat made its way to Clovis, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Silver City, Los Lunas, Hobbs and Roswell.
The New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management stated it was investigating the threats, but “currently, they are not considered credible.”
It also stated it was coordinating with law enforcement partners and the New Mexico Public Education Department “to ensure student safety.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and FBI also were investigating.