Deadly UNM Shooting Part of Revenge Plan

A UNM student was shot and killed after police say he and three others lured a New Mexico State University student to campus to assault him.

Deadly UNM Shooting Part of Revenge Plan

(Photo: fergregory, Adobe Stock)

UPDATE 11/22/22

Saturday’s deadly shooting at UNM was part of a revenge plan drawn up by UNM students who claim they were attacked last month by NMSU students during a football game between the rival schools.

According to an arrest affidavit, UNM students Brandon Travis, 19, Jonathan Smith, 19, Mya Hill, 17, and a fourth unidentified student, hatched a plan to lure NMSU basketball player Mike Peake to campus to assault him while he was in town for a game. Smith alleges Peake and his friends were the ones who “jumped” them during the October brawl, reports ABQ Journal.

In interviews with police, Hill said she had been in contact with Peake for some time and had planned to meet up with him while he was in town. Hill, who is friends with Travis, learned Hill had been texting with Peake. He asked her to text him as part of a setup and she agreed.

When Peake arrived on campus in an Uber, he met up with Hill outside Coronado Hall. The three men then approached Peake. Hill reportedly walked into the residence hall when the fight started. At some point, Travis pointed a gun at him.

“Two other males stood behind Michael and one of those males hit Michael on his right leg with a bat,” a detective wrote in the affidavit. “Michael ran and the male with the gun fired at Michael several times. Michael pulled a gun out from his waist area and shot back at the male who was shooting at him. Michael struck the male and the male fired back, striking Michael on his leg.”

Smith and the unidentified student fled the scene. Smith called 911, pressed a campus call button for help, and threw his phone underneath a car because he said he knew he would be tracked. The men then went to the unidentified student’s dorm to change clothes, went back to grab Smith’s phone, and threw the clothes they had been wearing into a sewer.

The pair returned to the scene and saw police tending to Travis, who died from his injuries. Smith told police he knew Travis had a gun but didn’t know he was going to bring it with him because they hadn’t discussed it. Smith has been charged with aggravated battery, conspiracy, and tampering with evidence, all felonies.

A State Police spokesman said investigators are working with the District Attorney’s Office to determine if the unidentified person will face charges. Peake has not been charged with a crime.

Editor’s Note: In a previous iteration of this article, Campus Safety identified a fourth student by name. That individual’s name has since been removed as they have not been charged with a crime. 


ORIGINAL POST 11/21/22

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A University of New Mexico (UNM) student was killed and a New Mexico State University (NMSU) student was injured in a shooting on the school’s main campus early Saturday morning.

A press release from the New Mexico State Police says 19-year-old Brandon Travis and three other UNM students lured 21-year-old Mike Peake to the campus to “assault him,” reports KOAT. Travis shot Peake near a residence hall and Peake returned fire. Travis was pronounced dead at the scene and Peake was taken to the hospital for treatment. Multiple sources said Peake suffered a gunshot wound to his leg, according to The Santa Fe New Mexican. A statement sent to UNM students said he is in stable condition.

The other UNM students fled the scene following the shooting. One of them, a 17-year-old female, was later arrested and booked into the juvenile detention center. She has been charged with aggravated battery and conspiracy. The two others, both males, have been identified by state police but their names have not been disclosed as they have not been charged with a crime.

The shooting happened just hours before a scheduled men’s basketball game at UNM between the rival schools. NMSU Associate President Justin Bannister told CNN that Peake plays basketball for the school. The team had arrived in Albuquerque on Friday for the game. which was postponed after the shooting.

On the way back to the Las Cruces campus Saturday afternoon, the NMSU basketball team’s bus was pulled over by state police. A police spokesperson said the bus was stopped “as part of the ongoing investigation” but no one was detained.

The incident is being investigated by the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau with assistance from the New Mexico State Police Crime Scene Team and the UNM Police Department.

Counseling services have been made available to students at both schools.

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One response to “Deadly UNM Shooting Part of Revenge Plan”

  1. ravenmanic388@gmail.com says:

    Im sorry this happened at all. But Im glad our nmsu student survived. The gun was pulled on him. I believe the nmu student intended to kill him all along. The Nmsu student was just protecting himself. Wild wild west getting closer.

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