On Saturday afternoon, when news was brought forward regarding a horrible situation, it seems like judgement was quick to come regarding the news.
I received message after message asking if I had seen or read about the situation in the Land of Enchantment. I had just finished playing a slowpitch softball game in Mesquite, Nevada. And when I pulled my phone out of my softball bag, it was blowing up.
There were messages containing Geoff Grammer’s tweets regarding a shooting that happened on the New Mexico campus in Albuquerque. In our fantasy football group chat, there was all kinds of speculation. There were fans from other schools asking what in the world was going on with New Mexico State.
Messages came in with screenshots from message boards. So and so did this or so and so was shot. It’s just not something you want to see after playing really bad on the softball field.
But, there it was. An altercation took place in the early morning hours on the New Mexico campus in Albuquerque, just a few hours ahead of the Rio Grande Rivalry game at The Pit.
A 19-year-old student died at the scene. A 21-year-old sustained injuries that required hospitalization. And when some of the dust cleared, reports indicated that the 21-year-old was New Mexico State men’s basketball player Mike Peake. All of which have been confirmed.
What happened in those early morning hours? Why was a New Mexico State basketball player out that late? Was he jumped or ambushed as some on the message boards are saying?
The game was cancelled. And the second game set for Dec. 3 most likely won’t be played either.
And, in all honesty, after what happened in the early morning, it is the right call.
But, that’s not what this is about.
Sometimes we are quick to throw out theories and judgements in situations like these. We are quick to jump on one bandwagon or the other.
That is just the era of social media that we are in.
But, in situations like these, don’t be so quick to join one side or the other. There are a lot of gray areas that police and investigators have to figure out. If you have been following Albuquerque Journal’s Geoff Grammar, then you have as much of the information as has been released.
The facts are that there was a shooting, that a 19-year-old died, and that a 21-year-old New Mexico State basketball player was injured in the altercation.
New Mexico State Chancellor Dan Arvizu had this to say in a letter sent out to the New Mexico State community.
“There are some details that we know, but unfortunately, there is some important information that we still do not know. I believe it’s important that no one rush to judgement until all the facts are available.”
And he’s right. This is an ongoing investigation. There are still facts that have not come out or that are being looked at by law enforcement to figure out what happened.
You can read the entire letter in the Tweet below.
A message to our NMSU Community. pic.twitter.com/IlrHMrq3zx
— Dan Arvizu (@dan_arvizu) November 20, 2022
Should Mike Peake have left the team hotel when he did? I am sure we can all agree that should not have happened. Especially in a town with fans that absolutely hate the Aggies. That was an extremely poor decision.
Speculation has come out, specifically in an article on ABQ Raw, that Peake was carrying a firearm and shot the so-called robbers. Per the reporting from both Geoff Grammer and Las Cruces Sun-News writer Stephen Wagner, no information has come out from either writers. Again, another part of the story that is being investigated.
THREAD (1/x)
Here's what I know, or can report/confirm, about the homicide overnight at UNM, the NMSU player's involvement, police updates, etc. … https://t.co/WkuVi3keX7
— Geoff Grammer (@GeoffGrammer) November 19, 2022
Throwing gasoline on a fire is not the way to live life. This is a horrible situation for all involved. A life was taken much too soon. And another’s life is in the balance in terms of the legal process, basketball career, and educational opportunities. Two young people that had their entire lives ahead of them. And now, because of poor decisions, one will never get to live that full life. And the other may face more difficulties than they ever thought possible.
Let the facts come out. Don’t jump to conclusions. There is a lot to the story that hasn’t come out. But, it will. Rushing to judgement doesn’t help the situation. Let the proper authorities do their job and complete the investigation. And let the local reporters report the facts. Then make your judgement. Until then, without all the facts, things are speculative at best.
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