Aztec gunman planned to shoot up classroom
Navajo Times | Ravonelle Yazzie A drug free and gun free school zone sign is posted on one of the entrances of Aztec High School on Thursday in Aztec, N.M.
AZTEC, N.M.
The gunman and two students were killed in a shooting last Thursday morning at Aztec High School.
Navajo Times | Ravonelle Yazzie
A sign at Aztec High School identifies it as a “gun-free zone.”
Authorities said the gunman, William Atchison, 21, of Aztec, apparently shot himself after shooting two students — Francisco Fernandez and Casey Jordan Marquez, both 17 — he encountered in a restroom and the hall.
San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christesen said information gathered from a thumb drive found on Atchison’s body indicated he planned the attack and originally was going to shoot up an entire classroom at the school of about 900 students, 18 percent of whom are Native American.
“I’m only going to name the suspect one time,” said Christesen. “This is an act of cowardness. This was a planned event.”
Atchison had purchased the Glock pistol locally and legally. He was a resident of Aztec who lived with his parents and graduated from Aztec High School.
Upon investigation, police found not only the thumb drive, but also a note showing the seriousness of his intent and the planning.
Much had been said of the teachers and staff who took it upon themselves to act swiftly, such as a 74-year-old substitute teacher who did not have a key to the classroom to lock it, so when she heard the shots she took her class into another room where they barricaded the door with a couch. A custodian heard the shots and followed Atchison and yelled at the teachers to “lock down, they have an active shooter.”
“Their swift action saved a whole bunch of lives and a lot of devastation,” said Christesen. “These people are heroes and they are from our community.”
Aztec Police Chief Mike Heal said four of his officers responded in less than a minute to the scene. The initial call about the incident was just after 8 a.m., when class was in session.
Quick response by staff and authorities kept Atchison from taking more lives.
After the Aztec shooting was reported, police received reports of other shootings on the Navajo Nation. Navajo Nation Police Chief Phillip Francisco said they received calls from Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle, New Mexico and Teec Nos Pos, Arizona reporting an active shooter but when officers arrived at the locations, the calls turned out to be false.
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow