Crime
UNM Campus Shooting Victim Identified as 14-Year-Old Michael Lamotte
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau is actively investigating a fatal shooting that occurred early Friday, July 25, 2025, at Mesa Vista Hall on the University of New Mexico (UNM) campus.
According to a statement from New Mexico State Police (NMSP), the investigation was initiated at the request of the University of New Mexico Police Department (UNMPD) following reports of gunfire inside the dormitory complex.
At approximately 1:36 a.m., UNM police officers responded to an alarm activation at Mesa Vista Hall.
Upon arrival, officers discovered broken windows and what appeared to be blood near the scene.
Shortly afterward, UNMPD received a phone call from a concerned woman who stated that her family member, who was on campus, had reported hearing gunshots.
Shortly thereafter, officers were notified by the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) that a 19-year-old male had arrived at the emergency department with a gunshot wound.
The individual reported that he had been shot on campus.
While conducting a security sweep of the surrounding buildings, UNMPD officers entered one of the dorm rooms in the Casas del Rio complex and discovered the body of a 14-year-old male, later identified as Michael Lamotte.
He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Out of an abundance of caution and to preserve critical evidence, a shelter-in-place order was issued for the campus. NMSP investigators responded and assumed control of the case.
According to the preliminary investigation and details in the criminal complaint, four individuals had gathered in the dorm room to play video games.
At some point, for reasons still under investigation, one of the individuals, later identified as 18-year-old John Fuentes, allegedly produced a firearm and began shooting at the others.
Michael Lamotte was fatally shot during the incident.
Another teenager sustained a gunshot wound to the head but survived.
Following the shooting, all surviving individuals, including Fuentes, fled the room.
By approximately 2:30 p.m. the same day, Fuentes was located and apprehended by NMSP in Valencia County, New Mexico.
He was taken into custody without incident at a smoke shop off NM 314 in Los Lunas. An older woman who was in the vehicle with Fuentes at the time was detained but later released.
Fuentes was transported to and booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on the following charges:
- First-degree murder
- Aggravated battery
- Aggravated assault
- Tampering with evidence
New Mexico State Police have indicated that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional charges may be forthcoming for individuals who may have assisted Fuentes after the shooting.
Authorities urge anyone with relevant information to come forward as investigators continue to gather evidence in this tragic and deeply disturbing incident.
Crime
Angela Johnson and Her Son DeAngelo Johnson Killed After Shooting Inside Home in Chicago, Mother’s Boyfriend in Custody
CHICAGO — A 47-year-old mother and her 27-year-old son were fatally shot inside a residence in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood on the West Side late Thursday night, September 24, 2026, according to Chicago police.
The victims were identified as Angela Johnson, 47, and DeAngelo Johnson, 27. Police said a suspect, identified as Angela Johnson’s boyfriend, was taken into custody following the shooting.
The deadly shooting happened in the 800 block of North Parkside Avenue at approximately 10:43 p.m. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots coming from the basement of the residence and called 911.
When Chicago police officers arrived, they found the two victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Angela Johnson was found in the basement with a gunshot wound to her chest. Police-radio traffic indicated she had been shot on the right side of her chest.
DeAngelo Johnson was found on the first floor with multiple gunshot wounds. Radio traffic indicated that he had suffered two gunshot wounds to his back.
Both victims were initially unresponsive and in critical condition. Emergency personnel performed CPR on DeAngelo Johnson before both victims were transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
According to police-radio traffic, one victim was pronounced dead at approximately 11:18 p.m., while the male victim was pronounced dead around 11:21 p.m.
Investigators found extensive evidence inside the residence, including approximately 23 shell casings in a basement bedroom. Additional shell casings were reportedly recovered in other areas of the basement, including the stairway, main room and bedroom.
Officers initially recovered a firearm and shell casings from the basement bedroom. Police later located a second firearm inside the home, bringing the total number of recovered firearms to two.
Authorities have not publicly stated who owned the firearms or confirmed which weapon, if either, was used in the fatal shooting.
Police also reported that DeAngelo Johnson was wearing an empty holster when officers found him on the first floor. That discovery prompted an officer-safety alert as officers searched the residence for the missing firearm.
Chicago police said the shooting appeared to be domestic-related and identified the alleged offender as the mother’s boyfriend.
Radio traffic indicated that a person had been detained by approximately 11:26 p.m. The official police report later confirmed that the known offender was taken into custody.
Two witnesses were reportedly available to identify the alleged offender, and officers conducted a show-up identification procedure near the scene.
Police have not released additional information about potential charges against the suspect.
The investigation into the Chicago Austin neighborhood double shooting remains ongoing. Detectives are continuing to examine the circumstances that led to the shooting, the relationship between the people involved and the role of the two recovered firearms.
The deaths of Angela Johnson and DeAngelo Johnson are being investigated as a double homicide.