Middle School Teacher Shot Multiple Times by Student

A New Mexico middle school teacher was rushed into surgery after being shot multiple times outside his school Friday, triggering a lockdown, a frantic police search and the arrest of a juvenile suspect just blocks away.

The shooting unfolded shortly before 11:40 a.m. on Sept. 25 at Highland Middle School in Hobbs, New Mexico. Hobbs police initially received a report of a possible stabbing before learning that a shooting had occurred.

Officers arrived within about a minute, according to authorities, secured the school and found a staff member suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. No students were injured.

The wounded teacher was identified by his family as Kelly Matthews. Highland Middle School’s official staff directory lists Matthews as a special education teacher certified in general special education for grades K-12.

Matthews’ daughter told KOAT that her father was shot in the stomach and hip and may also have been grazed by another bullet.

She said Matthews appeared to have encountered the suspect while walking through the school property, possibly in a parking lot or between buildings.

Exactly what happened in the moments before the gunfire remains under investigation.

Police have said the suspected shooter is a juvenile male. Authorities believe he fled on foot after the shooting, prompting officers from multiple agencies to search the neighborhood surrounding the school.

The suspect was eventually found nearby and taken into custody following a short foot pursuit.

Local reporting has identified the boy as 13 years old, although the Hobbs Police Department had not publicly confirmed his exact age as of Saturday. Police also had not said whether the juvenile attends Highland Middle School.

Matthews was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery. Hobbs Municipal Schools Superintendent Gene Strickland said afterward that the teacher was stable and in good spirits.

His daughter also indicated that Matthews survived the attack and was recovering following surgery.

The shooting sent concern through the Hobbs school community, but authorities stressed that students were safe and that there was no continuing threat at the school.

Nearby Coronado Elementary School was also secured as a precaution while police searched for the suspect.

The incident had repercussions beyond Highland Middle School. Hobbs High School’s homecoming parade was canceled, while its varsity football game was moved to Saturday morning as the community dealt with the aftermath of the shooting.

One of the biggest unanswered questions is why Matthews was shot.

Police had not announced a motive as of Saturday, and authorities have not said whether investigators believe Matthews was deliberately targeted.

Matthews’ daughter raised that uncertainty during an interview with KOAT, saying the family does not yet know whether her father was specifically targeted or simply encountered the gunman.

There has been no public evidence from police suggesting that a broader school shooting was planned, so authorities have not characterized the incident that way.

That distinction is important as detectives continue working to determine what happened before Matthews was wounded and how the juvenile obtained the handgun allegedly used in the shooting.

Because the suspect is a minor, some information about what happens next may remain out of public view. New Mexico law generally protects juvenile justice records from public disclosure, meaning details about the suspect and subsequent court proceedings can be more limited than they would be in a criminal case involving an adult.

Investigators had not publicly announced charges against the juvenile or disclosed whether a weapon had been recovered.

Strickland said the district’s safety procedures were followed during the emergency and that school officials were working closely with law enforcement as the investigation continued.

For the Highland Middle School community, attention has now turned to Matthews’ recovery and to the unanswered questions surrounding the attack.

The school’s own directory confirms Matthews’ role working with special education students, adding another layer of shock for colleagues, parents and students suddenly confronted with violence on their campus.

Police have asked for patience as investigators work to establish a motive and reconstruct the events that led to the shooting.

As of Saturday, the juvenile remained in custody, Matthews was recovering from his injuries and authorities said no students had been physically harmed.

The investigation remains ongoing.