Melody Ivie, Gwendolyn Schofield.Photo: Farmington Police Department
During a Tuesday press conference, police confirmed Shirley Volta, 79, Gwendolyn Schofield, 97, and Melody Ivie, 73, died while driving through a Farmington, N.M., neighborhood.
Ivie was the daughter of Schofield, say police, and the pair were in the same vehicle when they were fatally shot.
“This is such a tragic event, it’s overwhelming to the senses,” Deputy Chief Kyle Dowdy told reporters. “I don’t care what age you are. I don’t care what else is going on in your life. To kill three innocent, elderly women that were just absolutely in no position to defend themselves is always going to be a tragedy.”
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On Monday, police said in a statement that they “confronted and killed” the gunman, identified as 18-year-old Farmington High School student Beau Wilson, after receiving more than 100 calls reporting the shooting.
More than 100 rounds were exchanged between the shooter and police. Two responding officers suffered from gunshot wounds and are recovering, police say.
Police Chief Steve Hebbe said the gunman fired from at least three different, legally obtained weapons, including an AR-style rifle, perThe New York Times. In a video statement, Hebbe said the shooting appeared to be “purely random,” and police say there is no known link between the shooter and the victims.
TheAlbuquerque Journalreports Ivie was a beloved preschool teacher. Speaking with the outlet, State Rep. Mark Duncan confirmed his wife is Ivie’s niece.
“These are women whose whole entire life was devoted to their family, to their church and to their community,” he said.
Four others were also injured in the shooting.
source: people.com
