Crime
UNM Shooting suspect arrested in Los Lunas
LOS LUNAS, N.M. — The suspect involved in a fatal shooting on the University of New Mexico (UNM) campus has been taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Los Lunas, according to law enforcement officials.
The arrest follows a violent incident that occurred early Friday morning at the Casas del Rio student housing complex on the UNM campus.
The University of New Mexico Police Department (UNMPD) initially responded to reports of gunfire and discovered two individuals suffering from gunshot wounds.
One of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene, while the second was transported for medical treatment with non-life-threatening injuries.
As a precaution, UNM officials issued an immediate campus lockdown and a shelter-in-place order, fearing the suspect may still have been in the vicinity.
The New Mexico State Police (NMSP) later assumed control of the investigation.
The shelter-in-place has since been lifted, though the crime scene remains active and under investigation.
Students residing in the Gila building, where the shooting is believed to have occurred on the second floor, reported hearing four to five gunshots shortly before midnight.
Several students described the incident as “one of the scariest experiences of their lives,” noting they witnessed people fleeing the building toward a nearby parking lot.
Throughout Friday, UNMPD conducted a staged, tactical evacuation of students from the impacted residence halls to ensure their safety.
Officials advised any remaining individuals on campus to stay in place unless directed otherwise by law enforcement.
According to the university’s website, new student orientation was underway at the time of the incident.
Additionally, freshman members of the UNM football team were staying on the fourth floor of the residence hall this summer.
At this time, authorities have not confirmed whether any UNM students—new or returning—were directly involved in the shooting.
Details regarding the identity of the suspect and victims have not been released.
The motive and circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation by the New Mexico State Police.
Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact the UNM Police Department at (505) 277-2241 or Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers at (505) 843-7867. Anonymous tips can also be submitted via the Crime Stoppers app or through their website at www.crimestoppersnm.com.
Crime
Mustapha Kharbouch Now-Deleted 2024 Manifesto Published in Institute for Palestine Studies Recovered
Brown University has removed multiple online references to student activist Mustapha Kharbouch in the days following a deadly campus shooting, a move that has drawn public attention amid heightened online speculation—despite law enforcement officials confirming that no suspects or persons of interest have been identified in the investigation.
Archived versions of Brown University webpages show that Kharbouch, a first-year student at the time, was previously listed in several university-affiliated roles, including as a student assistant and Cultural Programming Coordinator connected to the Global Brown Center.
His academic interests were described as focusing on International and Public Affairs and Anthropology, with involvement in Middle East–focused academic, cultural, and student programming.
Those pages are no longer accessible, and Kharbouch’s social media accounts have also been deactivated.
A verified buyer from the United States with the name “Mustapha K.” reviewed a 9MM muzzle brake through the Wing Tactical website on December 29th, 2024 — the same caliber used in the Brown shooting.
There are approximately a few hundred people in the entire United States with that first name + last initial combination.
University officials have not issued a public explanation for the removal of the online profiles.
The changes occurred as online speculation intensified in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with social media users circulating screenshots of archived university pages and past writings associated with Kharbouch.
Among the materials resurfaced by online users was a 2024 essay authored by Kharbouch and published by the Institute for Palestine Studies as part of a special student essay series titled Genocide in Gaza: Student Essays — Brown University Encampment 2024.
The essay, titled “I Hear the Voice of My Ancestors Calling: From the Camps to the Campus,” was published on August 13, 2024, months before the shooting. The piece is a first-person reflective essay examining Palestinian identity, intergenerational memory, student activism, and questions of hope amid displacement, war, and protest.
The article includes poetic excerpts adapted from “Ancestors Song,” a chant popularized during student-led Palestine solidarity actions at Brown University, and documents Kharbouch’s participation in campus organizing efforts, including sit-ins, hunger strikes, rallies, and the Brown Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
The essay situates these experiences within a broader discussion of decolonial thought, feminist theory, and Palestinian history, including reflections on the 1948 Nakba and the author’s family history as a third-generation stateless Palestinian refugee raised in Lebanon.
The content of the essay is ideological, autobiographical, and academic in nature.
There is no reference to violence on campus, nor any indication of intent or planning related to criminal activity.
The Institute for Palestine Studies has not issued any statement suggesting the piece is under review or connected to the shooting.
Despite widespread online conjecture, law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Providence Police, have not named Mustapha Kharbouch as a suspect or person of interest, and have publicly stated that there is no evidence linking him to the shooting.
Investigators have emphasized that the case remains active and that conclusions are being guided strictly by verified evidence.
Authorities have cautioned against drawing inferences from online speculation, warning that unsubstantiated claims can compromise investigations and cause undue harm to individuals not implicated by facts.
Media analysts and campus observers have suggested that Brown University’s decision to remove online references may have been taken as a protective or precautionary measure, particularly as misinformation and harassment proliferated across social media platforms following the attack.
Similar actions have been taken by institutions in other high-profile incidents to limit doxxing, targeted harassment, or the misinterpretation of publicly available biographical information during periods of heightened tension.
Brown University has not confirmed whether the removals were temporary, administrative, or safety-related in nature.
Authorities continue to urge the public to rely on confirmed information released by law enforcement and to avoid amplifying unverified narratives.
As of the most recent update, no arrests have been announced, no individuals have been publicly identified as suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with credible information related to the shooting has been asked to contact investigators directly.