Las Cruces mother shares final moments of 13-year-old son killed in shooting, calls for gun safety
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- A Las Cruces mother is sharing new details about the moments leading up to and following the shooting of her 13-year-old son, Chris Carnero.
Las Cruces Police said a 13-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the shooting and faces charges of negligent use of a deadly weapon and minor in possession of a deadly weapon.
Carnero’s mother said her family had taken steps to educate their children about gun safety in the weeks before the shooting.
“We have helped lots of kids throughout the years, and our kids, including Chris, have always been a part of that,” Janel Carnero said. “Since we have helped so many kids, we had conversations with them about guns and safety.”
She said those conversations included discussing warning signs, sharing stories about gun violence and creating safe words for their children to use if they ever felt unsafe.
“This was two short weeks before this happened,” Carnero said.
On the night of the shooting, Carnero described hearing a sudden noise before rushing to her son’s room.
“We heard a thud and sudden screaming,” Janel Carnero said. “We jumped out of bed, ran to his room and I immediately found Chris on the floor, still semi-conscious, but not screaming in pain. Just babbling."
She said she held her son and tried to stop the bleeding while her husband called 911.
“We picked him up and ran to our car and rushed towards the hospital while on the phone with 911, begging them to please tell everyone to hurry,” Carnero said.
While driving, they encountered police units and stopped to get help.
“My husband parked our vehicle in the middle of oncoming police and jumped out to flag them down,” Carnero said. “Within seconds, the police pulled us out and started helping our baby.”
Carnero said she stayed with her son as officers attempted to provide aid.
“I was in the back seat desperately holding my baby, talking to him and telling him we were here and we loved him,” Carnero said.
She emphasized that the firearm used in the shooting did not belong to her family.
“This was not our gun; we had no knowledge the other child brought a gun into our house and from what we know so far, neither did our son,” Carnero said.
Police have said the suspect frequently ran away from his own home.
A neighbor told ABC-7 they heard a single gunshot and saw a juvenile walking away from the scene, apologizing. Police arrived within minutes and secured the home.
Carnero was a student at Picacho Middle School, where staff described him as a positive presence on campus. In the days following his death, students across Las Cruces wore pink in his honor.
“He was an absolutely beautiful soul,” Carnero’s mother, Janel Carnero, said.
In the days following Chris Carnero’s death, his family is organizing efforts to honor his memory and support other children in the community.
“We are going to be asking for donations of stuffed animals from the public for Chris’s honor walk so we can donate them after to the children here at the hospital,” Janel Carnero said.
She added the family also plans to advocate for changes aimed at improving safety for children in Las Cruces.
“They deserve better," Carnero said.
She said the family intends to make a large donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and continue pushing for awareness around gun violence involving children.
“Kid gun violence is out of control and we will be fighting in his name to save even one child,” Carnero said.
Carnero described her son as someone who embraced life and built strong connections with others, noting the widespread response from young people across the community.
“Chris was in love with life,” Carnero said. “We have thousands of TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat videos from all the kids he knew who are all posting asking to stop gun violence.”
ABC-7 has contacted the Doña Ana County District Attorney's office for more information on what charges the suspect will face. We have not yet received a response.
