It seems we can’t get a break. Earlier today, authorities in Aztec, NM were called to Aztec High School after receiving reports of an active shooter on the premises.

The shooter was later reported to be “down,” said Shana Reeves, director of communications for the larger nearby city of Farmington. She did not say if “down” meant injured, dead or captured, and did not say if anybody else was injured or whether the shooter was a student or visitor.

No injured people have been transported from Aztec High School to the San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, according to hospital spokeswoman Laura Werbner.

Aztec, in San Juan County, is a small town in northwest New Mexico, about three hours from Albuquerque, and Farmington authorities assisted in the shooting.

Officials were working on clearing the buildings before the shooter was reported down, according to San Juan County CEO Kim Carpenter.
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook that parents should pick up students at the police department.

In addition to the shooter who died at the scene, CNN reports two other students were killed.

Officials haven’t revealed whether or not the shooter was a student, staff member, or someone else. Additionally, it’s unclear whether the shooter took their own life, or whether law enforcement did.

[Note: This paragraph was written early when information was sketchy and somehow got into my head that this was in Arizona] While Arizona is known for having among the least restrictive gun laws in the country, it does not permit individuals to carry on school grounds, apparently even with a permit of any kind. In other words, while some will howl about permissive gun laws and even national reciprocity, this is another example of a shooting in a gun-free zone.

Fox News reports that a spokesman for the Navajo Nation claimed more than a dozen students were injured in the attack, though it remains unclear if they were shot or hurt in the probable stampede that resulted after the shooter opened fire.

“It’s tragic when our children are harmed in violent ways especially on school campuses. We express our condolences to those families who have been harmed,” Russell Begaye, president of the Navajo Nation, said in a press release.

Information remains sketchy at the moment, as is normal in a case like this. Over time, the situation will become far more clear and we can provide more details to you, but not until we know them ourselves.

Anytime there’s something like this, it’s a tragedy. This is especially true when it’s a shooting at a school. However, it also could have been much, much worse than it is. For the families who lost someone today, I know that’s probably no comfort at all. It wouldn’t be any comfort to me either. Yet there could have been many more families in that predicament, and I’m thankful there aren’t. I only wish there’d been no families dealing with this kind of loss.

In the meantime, it’s probably a good idea for all of us to give our own kids a hug and make sure they know we love them. I’m afraid this could just as easily have happened at my son’s school or any other school in the country for that matter.