GALLUP, New Mexico – Two students at Aztec High School in Aztec, N.M., were killed in a shooting Thursday morning, and the local bishop has prayed for the victims and the community.
“St. Paul tells us in Romans 12:21 ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’ In the coming days, many survivors and families will also be facing the fear and psychological effects that inevitably follow any tragedy. Please join me in offering prayers for the students and families,” Bishop James Wall of Gallup said Dec. 7.
“Please also join me in offering our support to the community of Aztec. We mourn the loss of life with you.”
The diocese held a prayer vigil at St. Joseph parish in Aztec, about 120 miles northeast of Gallup.
The shooter is also dead.
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on social media the victims were Casey J. Marquez and Francisco I. Fernandez.
Friends were sharing their condolences on Marquez’s Facebook page, which displayed photos of the teen in her cheerleading outfit. Fernandez’s friends shared photos on his page and wore T-shirts that memorialized him during a candlelight vigil late Thursday.
Hundreds of friends and family members braved frigid temperatures to gather at a park in the community of Aztec to honor the two students.
Authorities have yet to identify the gunman and have not released any details about what prompted the shooting. They planned another news conference Friday morning.
This article incorporated material from The Associated Press and Crux Staff.
