Man arrested in teen’s shooting across from NMSU in what police call drug deal gone bad
UPDATE: Las Cruces police on Thursday announced the arrest of a man in the shooting of a teenager earlier in the week at the Casa Bandera Apartments across from NMSU, which they now say was the result of a drug deal gone bad.
Samuel L. “Sammy” Pinon, 18, was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center without bond on a charge of armed robbery.
The 16-year-old victim, whose name was not released, remained hospitalized at UMC in El Paso in critical but stable condition.
Police said the pair met after using the social media app Snapchat to arrange a marijuana deal. When the two met in the apartment parking lot, investigators allege Pinon stole the teen's marijuana and shot him with a semi-automatic handgun before fleeing.
ORIGINAL REPORT: LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- A teen was seriously wounded when gunfire erupted Wednesday afternoon at an apartment complex across the street from New Mexico State University.
Both NMSU and Las Cruces police were searching for the shooter, described simply as a short man wearing a hat and shorts - but considered armed and dangerous.
The shooting occurred about 2:40 p.m. at the Casa Bandera Apartments, located at 855 E. University Avenue in Las Cruces.
The wounded man was taken to an area hospital, where there was no immediate word on the extent of his injuries.
The university sent out an emergency alert message to students but the campus was not on lockdown.
