Slain boy called ‘hero’ for trying to stop fight

Albuquerque’s police chief said the boy who was shot and killed at his school Friday had tried to deescalate a violent confrontation between classmates.

The boy who was killed was a “hero,” Police Chief Harold Medina said Friday night in a brief statement. “He stood up for a friend and tried to deescalate a violent confrontation between classmates,” Medina said. He said the incident was “a tragedy that has shaken our community.”

No identities were publicly released but Albuquerque Police Deputy Commander Kyle Hartsock earlier described the shooting as an isolated incident between two students who were believed to be about 13 years old. He said a school resource officer ran toward the two boys after gunfire erupted and prevented any other violence while tending to the boy who was shot.