Las Cruces teen pleads not guilty in fatal party shooting

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A 17-year-old boy has been arraigned in the shooting death of a man at a Las Cruces house party this summer. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports the teen pleaded not guilty Monday at a hearing. He is one of two people charged in the July 31 killing of 23-year-old Nicodemus “Nico” Gonzalez. The teen is being charged as an adult. His attorney asked if he could be released from jail in order to complete his high school studies. Authorities say the teen and a 19-year-old suspect shot almost a dozen rounds at a group of people during the party after a fight erupted. Police say Gonzales was an innocent bystander.