( Post Millennial )
Albuquerque, New Mexico police are investigating five separate shootings at the homes and offices of local and statewide elected officials in the past month, including county two commissioners, two state senators, and the state's new attorney general.
In a Thursday press conference, Albuquerque Police Department (APD) chief Harold Medina announced the investigation into the shootings at the homes of Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa, former commissioner Debbie O’Malley, and New Mexico state Senator Linda Lopez.
By the end of the day, APD announced two more shootings had occurred — one at the office of new state Sen. Moe Maestas, and another at the former campaign office of new state Attorney General Raúl Torrez, according to CBS News.
No one was injured, and all elected officials who appeared to have been targeted are Democrats.
On December 4, the first shooting occurred with eight rounds being shot from an unknown source at the home of Commissioner Barboa in Southeast Albuquerque, Medina said.
"It is traumatizing to have several bullets shot directly through my front door when my family and I were getting ready to celebrate Christmas," Barboa said. "No one deserves threatening and dangerous attacks like this; we ask our fellow New Mexicans to be alert and attentive while the investigation proceeds."
The second shooting occurred on Dec. 11, with then-Bernalillo Commissioner O'Malley's home being shot at over a dozen times.
"To say I am angry about this attack on my home, on my family, is the least of it," O'Malley said. "I remember thinking how grateful I was that my grandchildren were not spending the night and that those bullets did not go through my house."
Then, on Tuesday, several shots were fired into state Sen. Lopez's young daughter's bedroom in a horrifying attack at their home.
"Three of the bullets passed through my 10-year-old daughter's bedroom," Lopez said. "I am asking the public to provide any information they may have that will assist the police in bringing about the arrest of the perpetrators."
Gunshots were also heard at the law office of state Sen. Maestas on Thursday morning, though no building damage was found.
On Thursday night, APD said they were also investigating a shooting at the former campaign office of Attorney General Torrez.
"We're grateful nobody has been injured but we also realize we have to move quickly," Medina said to reporters on Thursday. "We have assigned a deputy commander to this case, we're implementing what we call a major case protocol, where they will work this nonstop."
Mayor Tim Keller also noted at the press conference that while the department is concerned about politicians being targeted, they don't know for sure if the shootings are connected.