New Mexico teen pleads no contest in fatal school shooting

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A 14-year-old New Mexico boy accused of shooting and killing a classmate in 2021 has pleaded no contest to a charge of second-degree murder. Prosecutors announced Thursday that the boy will remain in state custody until he’s 21, the maximum sentence allowed for a child under New Mexico law. The boy was initially charged with an open count of murder and unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon on school premises. The shooter opened fire at the start of the school year at a middle school near downtown Albuquerque. Police have said the victim was trying to protect another boy who was being bullied.