New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham SUSPENDS right to carry firearms in public after boy shot dead outside minor league baseball stadium and girl killed as she slept amid surge in gun violence

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham suspended the right to carry firearms in public in Albuquerque and surrounding Bernalillo County for at least 30 days.

The emergency order came after the tragic shooting death of an 11-year-old boy outside a minor league baseball stadium and the murder of a 5-year-old girl as she slept.

“If New Mexicans are afraid to be in crowds, to walk their children to school, to leave a baseball game — when their very existence is threatened at every turn by the prospect of violence — something is very wrong.” , said Lujan Grisham. in a statement.

The Democratic governor said she expects legal challenges but was forced to take action. She added that state police are responsible for enforcing the order.

Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said he won’t enforce it and Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said he’s concerned but will cooperate.

The emergency order came after the tragic shooting death of an 11-year-old boy outside a minor league baseball stadium (pictured) near Albuquerque

The suspension applies to open and concealed transport from city prides to urban recreational parks. Violators could face a fine of up to $5,000 and civil penalties

A suspected roadside shooting Wednesday in Albuquerque left 11-year-old Froyland Villegas dead as he left a baseball game with his family.

Someone in a black SUV fired seventeen shots into the family truck parking lot outside a minor league baseball stadium, Isotopes Park.

The boy’s aunt was seriously injured. Villegas’ mother and little brother were in the backseat and were not hit by gunfire.

Last month, 5-year-old Galilea Samaniego was shot dead while sleeping in a camper. Four teenagers entered the community in two stolen cars on August 13 and opened fire on the caravan, according to police.

The little girl was hit in the head by a rifle bullet and later died in a hospital. The teens are charged with murder.

The governor also mentioned a shooting in Taos County, New Mexico, of 13-year-old Amber Archuleta. A 14-year-old boy shot and killed the girl with his father’s gun while they were at his home, authorities said.

Lujan Grisham announces an executive order on Monday, June 27, 2022 aimed at ensuring a safe haven for people seeking abortions in Santa Fe, NM. Democrat cited multiple shooting deaths of children in New Mexico as she announced firearms suspension order

The firearms suspension applies to open and concealed carry from city sidewalks to urban recreational parks. The restriction is tied to a violent crime rate threshold currently met only in metropolitan Albuquerque.

Violators could face a fine of up to $5,000 and civil penalties, said governor’s spokeswoman Caroline Sweeney. Under the order, residents can still transport guns to certain private locations, such as a shooting range or gun store.

“While I understand and appreciate the urgency, the temporary ban challenges the foundations of our Constitution, which I swore under oath to uphold,” Allen said.

“I am wary of placing my deputies in positions that could lead to conflicts over civil liability, as well as the potential risks of depriving law-abiding citizens of their constitutional right to self-defense,” the sheriff added.

The ranking Republican in the Senate was quick Friday to denounce the governor’s actions to restrict guns as a way to stop violent crime.

‘A child is murdered, the perpetrator is still at large and what does the governor do? She… targets law-abiding citizens with an unconstitutional gun order,” said Sen. Greg Baca of Belen.

Lujan Grisham has signed a bill since 2019 that limits access to guns. She expanded background check requirements to nearly all private gun sales in New Mexico through the 2020 “red flag” law, which allows police or sheriff’s deputies to use a court order to temporarily remove guns from people who could hurt themselves or others .

She also signed a ban on firearm ownership for people under permanent protection orders for domestic violence.

Friday’s order directs state regulators to conduct monthly inspections of firearms dealers statewide to ensure compliance with gun laws.

Implementing the governor’s order could also put the Albuquerque Police Department in a difficult position with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding a police reform settlement, said police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos.

“These are all unanswered questions,” he said late Friday.

The Department of Health will prepare a report on gunshot victims in New Mexico hospitals that will include age, race, gender and ethnicity, along with the make and caliber of the firearm involved and other general circumstances.