At least three killed in New Mexico shooting, two officers wounded

The police said that at least three people were killed in a shooting on Monday (May 15) in a town in the northwestern corner of New Mexico. According to the local police, the suspect was also killed by the officers.

News agency Reuters reported that the shooting incident occurred in a residential area of Farmington, New Mexico, which is about 290 km northwest of Albuquerque, the state's largest city.

The Farmington Police Department said that two officers were wounded in an exchange of gunfire with the suspect and there were multiple civilian victims.

The police said that the shooter was believed to have acted alone. The deadly incident led to security lockdowns at several public schools in Farmington, a city of about 46,000 residents.

However, the police said after the suspect was killed that there was no longer a threat to the public, and the lockdowns were lifted.

According to the non-governmental organisation Gun Violence Archive, more than 215 mass shootings have occurred this year in the United States.

The country is facing a massive problem of gun violence, with US President Joe Biden recently reiterating a national assault weapons ban and other gun safety measures in order to take action against the gun "epidemic."

The US has the highest rate of gun deaths amongst any developed country - 49,000 in 2021, up from 45,000 the year before. In America, the US Constitution's Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, which has become a hot topic of debate across the nation.

(With inputs from agencies)

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