On Saturday, November 19th, UNM student Brandon Travis was shot and killed. Travis and three of his friends had planned to lure NMSU student Mike Peake to the UNM campus and assault him after they had previously gotten into a fight with him at a football game. While Travis’ friends were there, he proceeded to shoot Peake in the leg. Wounded, Peake took out his own gun and shot Travis with it. Travis was pronounced dead once police arrived. 

The investigation is still ongoing. Jonathan Smith, who was one of Travis’s friends, was arrested for aggravated battery and tampering with evidence on Nov. 21 for luring Peake. As of now, it appears that Peake was the victim in the shooting. Smith is now in jail and he will be sent to live with his mom in Texas after he is released.

I asked some students what they had heard about this shooting and what their opinions on gun violence were. Here is what they said: “If Brandon came at him first his only option was self defense. Automatic weapons should be outlawed; they are made for war and to kill people. Only handguns should be allowed and guns aren’t needed.”- Anonymous 

“There may be more laws on guns that should only be used for defense. Hunting weapons should be allowed but only for that. [There is] no need for automatic weapons. [They] should stay in war.” – Madi Konker ’24