Body camera footage released by police in New Mexico on Thursday showed a tense but quick pursuit of a gunman who was randomly firing at homes and cars in a residential neighborhood earlier this week before being shot dead by responding officers.
Three people were killed and six others injured, including two police officers, after the 18-year-old gunman opened fire in Farmington over the course of a nearly quarter-mile stretch of the neighborhood, police said.
A portion of body camera video from the incident released Thursday by the Farmington Police Department showed officers responding to a “hot call,” Chief Steve Hebbe told reporters.
“It is as I described, a very chaotic scene,” Hebbe said. “It’s emotional to watch it honestly, and I’ve seen it a bunch of times now and talked about it even more. It’s still emotional to watch it.”
In footage from one body camera, an officer can be seen walking down a street with a firearm in pursuit of the suspect, whom the officer said was described as being dressed in all black and armed with an automatic weapon.
A still from body camera footage during the pursuit of an active shooter in Farmington, New Mexico, on May 15, 2023.
Farmington Police Department
“He just took off! White house directly south of the church!” the officer can be heard saying in the footage. “More shots are being fired!”
The officer continues as police sirens are blaring and radios for another unit to be sent to the scene, saying he is with a sergeant and two detectives.
“Get back inside, people!” the officer yells.
He then quickly shouts out, “Let me see your hands!” as shots are fired, the footage shows.
After an approximately 10-second firefight, the officer yells out, “Subject is down! Subject is down! Cease fire! Cease fire!”
Officers are seen handcuffing the gunman and the officer radios that an officer — identified as Sgt. Rachel Discenza — is also down, footage shows.
A still from body camera footage during the pursuit of an active shooter in Farmington, New Mexico, on May 15, 2023.
Farmington Police Department
A still from body camera footage during the pursuit of an active shooter in Farmington, New Mexico, on May 15, 2023.
Farmington Police Department
Police also shared footage from Discenza’s body camera. As she and the officers head toward the sound of shots being fired, she falls to the ground, footage shows.
“Ugh, I’m shot,” she can be heard saying.
She attempts to get back up and stumbles before falling again.
“My legs I think,” she responds when an officer asks where she was hit.
An officer can be heard in the footage telling her to “just breathe” as he renders aid. Another officer says, “OK I’m here, all right, I got you.”
A still from body camera footage during the pursuit of an active shooter in Farmington, New Mexico, on May 15, 2023.
Farmington Police Department
A New Mexico State police officer was also shot while responding to the incident and drove himself to the hospital, Hebbe said. Both officers were treated and have since been released from San Juan Regional Medical Center. Discenza is recovering at home, Hebbe said.
Four other people injured in the incident were treated and have since been released from San Juan Regional Medical Center, a hospital spokesperson said.
Three women — Shirley Voita, Melody Ivie and Gwendolyn Schofield — were killed in the shooting after being fired upon while in their vehicles, police said.
Police released footage from a Ring surveillance camera that captured Voita’s vehicle rolling down the street with the driver’s side door open after she had been shot and left the vehicle unoccupied, according to Hebbe.
Footage from a second Ring surveillance camera showed Ivie and Schofield, mother and daughter, driving down the road in a blue van toward the suspect’s residence when “another just hail of gunfire opens up,” Hebbe said. Other vehicles that subsequently approach the scene, reverse and speed away as more shots are fired, footage shows.
The suspect was identified by police as Beau Wilson, a student at Farmington High School. Hebbe said he started firing an AR-15 rifle in front of his residence, killing the three women before officers arrived on the scene.
“It sounds like you’re watching Afghanistan or Iraq, you’re watching sort of a combat,” Hebbe said.
Wilson, who was wearing body armor, discarded the AR-15 at his residence before roaming the neighborhood with two handguns, according to Hebbe.
“Ultimately he loses the 22-caliber handgun, he takes off and discards the body armor that he’s wearing,” Hebbe said. “He stands and makes the last fight with the 9 mm when our officers are closing in at that stage.”
At least 150 rounds were fired by the gunman and responding officers during the incident, police said on Tuesday.
Hebbe said he believes Wilson was attempting “suicide by cop.” He noted that Wilson can be heard shouting “Come kill me” in one of the Ring videos and that he doesn’t take advantage of any opportunities to flee the scene.
“It’s my belief that ultimately in his head, he has made a decision that he’s going to stand and fight it out until he’s killed,” Hebbe said.
The chief commended the actions of the officers, whom he said showed “a lot of bravery” and quickly stopped the threat. Police said the gunman had first opened fire at approximately 10:56 a.m. local time and was shot dead by officers at 11:06 a.m.
About six-and-a-half minutes of footage was released Thursday. Hebbe said they plan to release all the raw footage once the officers have given their statements.
Hebbe said he had “so many emotions” as he watched the footage, and found the officers’ efforts and determination “awe-inspiring.”
Hebbe also praised the actions of other citizens who “did a great job, some at personal risk” by stopping traffic from driving into the scene, or providing blankets to injured victims, or pointing to law enforcement which way the suspect had gone.
“There’s a lot to be proud of if you’re a Farmington resident,” Hebbe said. “And there’s a lot to be grieving right now.”
ABC News’ Matthew Fuhrman contributed to this report.
