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A young life shattered in New Mexico on Sunday, as a 16-year-old boy was taken into custody after allegedly murdering four members of his family in a horrific quadruple homicide.
Valencia County Sheriff’s Office received a chilling 911 call from a young boy, his voice steady as he confessed to the dispatcher that he had killed his family. The New Mexico State Police later confirmed the incident in an official statement, describing the call as a moment that unraveled a harrowing tragedy.
Upon arriving at the residence in Belen, deputies encountered a 16-year-old stepping outside with his hands held aloft, visibly intoxicated, a state that seemed to mirror the dark events hidden within the home, according to the statement.
“Deputies entered the residence to find Leonardo Leyva, 42, Adriana Bencomo, 35, Adrian Leyva, 16, and Alexander Leyva, 14, all deceased from suspected gunshot wounds. A handgun was located on the kitchen table,” state police added.
Read also: Sheriff Faces Homicide Charges After Fatal Shooting Of Judge
According to a Belen official speaking to AFP, the tragedy claimed the lives of the suspect’s parents and two brothers, their deaths a sobering reminder of the unimaginable pain unfolding within the family.
The teen, now facing four charges of first-degree murder, has been taken into custody, according to authorities. Fatal shootings have become a heartbreaking norm in the United States, where permissive gun laws and a staggering number of firearms make such tragedies more frequent and more devastating.
This year, there have been at least 484 mass shootings — defined as a shooting involving at least four victims, dead or wounded — across the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
