A 13-year-old student is in custody after police say he shot his middle school teacher outside the building, turning a class change into a sprint for survival.
Story Snapshot
- Police say a 13-year-old student shot teacher Kelly Matthews outside Highland Middle School.
- Officers arrived just before noon, found Matthews wounded, and chased down the suspect.
- Matthews remains hospitalized in critical condition in Lubbock, Texas.
- Officials reported no other students injured and no ongoing threat after the arrest.
Police say the student opened fire on a teacher during a class change
Hobbs officers say they responded to Highland Middle School around 11:39 a.m., after a flurry of 911 calls updated an initial “stabbing” report to a shooting. Police found special education teacher Kelly Matthews outside the back doors with gunshot wounds.
Interim Chief James Jones said the student slipped out a rear exit between classes, encountered Matthews, and fired right away. Officials identified the suspect only as a 13-year-old Highland student, citing his age.
Police say the teen ran from the scene. Officers pursued and arrested him a short distance away. The Albuquerque Journal reported the takedown happened within a couple of blocks.
District officials and police said no other students were hurt. The school and a nearby elementary campus were secured, and officers said there was no active threat after the arrest. Authorities have not stated a motive.
Rapid response, a wounded teacher, and a city on edge
Emergency crews rushed Matthews first to a local hospital, then to a Lubbock trauma center. Officials and local outlets reported he remained in critical condition, though some updates described him as critical but stable during the weekend.
Police briefings, school alerts, and local news carried the timeline through the day. Families got the all-clear to reunite with students once officers swept the grounds and locked down the perimeter. Early confusion over the first 911 description explains the shifting alerts.
Police identified the suspect only by age and school. That follows typical rules for juvenile cases. Agencies restrict names and photos unless a court moves the case to adult court, which often does not happen for 13-year-olds.
Reporters rely on police briefings and school statements in the early days because court files remain sealed or incomplete. That is normal in juvenile cases, and it shapes what the public can confirm about background or motive at first.
The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. Friday outside of Highland Middle School in Hobbs, New Mexico, near the southeastern border to Texas. https://t.co/gXo9JKVKnT
— KCENNews (@6NewsCTX) September 28, 2026
What this case fits — and what it does not
This shooting lines up with a broader pattern seen in recent years: more school shootings overall, but most are single-victim or dispute-linked incidents, not large-scale attacks. A federal review found many K-12 shootings stem from grievances or conflicts, including student-on-staff cases.
The number of school shootings dipped in 2025 compared to the pandemic spike, but counts remain high in the post-2020 era, keeping school safety on front pages and at school board meetings.
A 13-year-old boy is in custody after allegedly shooting and seriously wounding a teacher at his New Mexico middle school, authorities said. https://t.co/PDMOy8K0Rt
— ABC News (@ABC) September 28, 2026
Parents want straight answers and swift action. Schools should tighten door controls, watch transition times, and back up rules with adult eyes and working cameras. That does not mean turning schools into fortresses.
It means enforcing exits, training staff for quick response, and making sure radio and camera systems work when seconds matter. When a teacher can be ambushed during a class change, complacency becomes a luxury no district can afford.
Next steps: facts, accountability, and prevention
Police say they will map the student’s movements, track how he got the gun, and review footage and dispatch audio. The district will review door alarms, supervision during passing periods, and cross-campus lockout drills. The question of charging falls to prosecutors and the juvenile court.
As those decisions proceed, the priority remains the same: support the victim, keep routine steady for students, and close the gaps that let a child carry out an attack on school grounds.
Sources:
abcnews.com, kcbd.com, kvia.com, koat.com, newswest9.com, kob.com, people.com, abqjournal.com, facs.org
