Three elderly women — including a 97-year-old mother and her daughter — were identified by police Tuesday as the victims killed at the hands of New Mexico teenage gunman Beau Wilson.
The 18-year-old — armed with three guns — fired indiscriminately as he walked through a quarter-mile stretch of the city of Farmington Monday morning, killing Gwendolyn Schofield, her 73-year-old daughter, Melody Ivie, and 79-year-old Shirley Voita, cops said.
Six others, including two police officers, were injured in the shooting before cops killed Wilson.
Police believe the violence was “purely random” and that Wilson did not know any of his victims.
“The amount of violence and brutality that these people faced is unconscionable to me,” Farmington Deputy Police Chief Kyle Dowdy said at a press conference.
“I don’t care what age you are, I don’t care what else is going on in your life, to kill three innocent elderly women that were just absolutely in no position to defend themselves is always going to be a tragedy.”
Officers are still working to determine a motive for Wilson’s mass murder in his own neighborhood near the Four Corners — where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado meet.
Dowdy said the rampage started at 10:56 a.m. and the threat was neutralized just 10 minutes later.
The Farmington High School student sprayed at least 150 bullets, though officers expect the number of casings discovered to rise dramatically as the investigation continues.
Video footage showed Wilson, dressed in black, pacing around the church driveway holding what appeared to be a handgun with an extended, high-capacity magazine before he was killed.
Wilson used three guns during the rampage — one “assault-style rifle” that he legally purchased in November shortly after his 18th birthday and two other guns that belonged to family members.
Though multiple homes were struck by bullets, Wilson was targeting vehicles — all the victims, other than the two injured officers, were struck while driving through the area.
Farmington officer Rachel Discenza delivered the fatal shot to Wilson, who exchanged a bullet simultaneously.
The teenager had a history of minor infractions, Dowdy said, but nothing that “would rise on our radar.”
Officers also believe Wilson was suffering from some type of mental health issues.
The shooting is still under investigation, and police expect to continue releasing information and body camera footage in the following days.
