SANTA FE, NM — Santa Fe police say they arrested a 14-year-old boy after a 15-year-old was shot twice and later treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Officers were first called to a hospital late Thursday night when the wounded teen arrived seeking care.
Police identified the suspect as Carlos Salazar, 14, of Santa Fe. Investigators later said a witness linked him to the shooting, and the incident appeared to have been accidental, according to information officers gathered after the initial hospital response.
Hospital visit led officers into the shooting investigation
According to Santa Fe police, the first alert came around 10:08 p.m. Thursday, when the 15-year-old showed up at a local hospital with two gunshot wounds. The injuries were not considered life-threatening, police said.
The teen was then transferred to an Albuquerque hospital for additional treatment. Police did not describe the exact location of the shooting, but the case immediately became a criminal investigation once officers learned the wounds came from gunfire rather than another kind of injury.
That sequence helped detectives begin piecing together what happened, and officers later connected Salazar to the incident through a witness account. Police have not said what relationship, if any, existed between the two teens.
Witness account and breath test shaped the arrest
Santa Fe Police Department interim Chief Ben Valdez said in an email to KRQE that the teen accused in the shooting did not want to talk with the officer handling the case. Even so, investigators continued collecting information about how the shooting unfolded.
Valdez said officers found signs that Salazar may have been under the influence of alcohol. Salazar later took a breath test that returned a blood alcohol content of 0.10, according to police.
Police have not said exactly how the gun discharged, only that the shooting appeared to be accidental. Investigators also are still working to determine how Salazar got the firearm in the first place.
Charges include unlawful carrying, negligent use and underage alcohol possession
After the arrest, Salazar was booked on charges of unlawful carrying of a firearm, negligent use of a deadly weapon and possession of alcoholic beverage by a minor. He is being held at the San Juan County Juvenile Detention Center.
The charges reflect both the shooting and the allegation that alcohol was involved in the incident. Police did not say whether any other people may face charges at this stage.
Valdez said detectives are still examining whether an adult may have been responsible for giving the teenager access to the weapon. That question remains part of the active investigation as officers try to determine who, if anyone, handled the gun before the shooting.
Police are looking into how the teenager got the gun
Investigators are focusing not only on the shooting itself but also on the path the firearm took before it was used. Police say they want to know how Salazar came into possession of the weapon and whether an adult may have helped make that possible.
That issue could become important in evaluating the broader circumstances around the case. For now, police have not publicly identified any adult suspect, and they have not detailed where the weapon was found or recovered.
The department’s comments indicate the case is still developing, with detectives continuing to collect statements and review the sequence of events. The teen’s decision not to speak with investigators leaves police relying on other evidence and witness information.
Victim had a prior gunshot wound treatment in August
Separately, Santa Fe police learned that the 15-year-old shooting victim had been treated at a hospital on Aug. 6 for a gunshot wound from an earlier incident in Santa Fe County. Police did not say whether that earlier case was connected to Thursday’s shooting.
That additional detail adds another layer to the investigation, though officers have not explained whether the prior injury changed their view of the current case. At this point, police have only confirmed that both incidents involved the same teen and that the August wound came from a previous shooting.
Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact Detective Manuel Romero at mjromero1@santafenm.gov or 505-955-5287. Police say tips could help clarify how the shooting happened and where the firearm came from.
Teen shootings raise fresh questions for investigators
The case highlights the difficulties police often face when juveniles are involved in firearms incidents, especially when alcohol may also be a factor. In this case, officers say they are still trying to determine whether the shooting was truly accidental and whether another person played a role by providing the weapon.
What is already clear is that one teenager was wounded, another has been arrested, and investigators are trying to reconstruct the full chain of events. Police have released limited details beyond the arrests, the injuries and the open questions about the gun.
