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 has suspended the right to carry guns 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 killing of a 5-year-old girl as she slept.

“When New Mexicans are afraid to stand in crowds, to take their children to school, to leave a baseball game – when their very right to exist is threatened by the prospect of violence at every turn – something is seriously wrong,” Lujan Grisham said. in a report.

The Democratic governor said she expected legal action, but was compelled to act. She added that state police are responsible for enforcing law and order.

Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said he would not enforce it and Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said he had concerns but would 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 carry from city sidewalks to urban recreation parks. Violators face a fine of up to $5,000 and civil penalties.

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

Someone in a black SUV fired 17 shots into the family’s truck parking lot outside a minor league baseball stadium, Isotopes Park.

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

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

The little girl was hit in the head by a gunshot and later died in hospital. The teens face murder charges.

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

Lujan Grisham announces an executive order to provide shelter for people seeking abortions in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Monday, June 27, 2022. The Democrat cited several shooting deaths of children in New Mexico as she announced the firearms suspension order.

The firearm 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 by metropolitan Albuquerque.

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

“While I understand and appreciate the urgency, the temporary ban calls into question the foundation of our Constitution, which I have sworn to uphold,” Allen said.

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

The highest-ranking Republican in the state Senate on Friday quickly denounced the governor’s actions to restrict guns as a way to stem violent crime.

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

Lujan Grisham has signed a bill restricting access to firearms since 2019. 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 petition a court to temporarily remove guns from people who may harm themselves or others.

She also signed a gun ownership ban for people placed under permanent protective orders for domestic violence.

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

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

“All these questions remain unanswered,” he said Friday evening.

The state Department of Health will compile a report on gunshot victims in New Mexico hospitals that will include age, race, gender and ethnicity, as well as the brand and caliber of gun. the firearm involved and other general circumstances.