The Taos News has reported that three persons were murdered and five others hurt in a gunfight that took place in Red River on Saturday, May 27. This caused the town’s 41st Annual Red River Memorial Day Motorcycle Rally to stop early.
The Taos News was informed by Red River Mayor Linda Calhoun that all shooting suspects had been apprehended and that there were no longer any immediate dangers to the public’s safety. Early reports, according to Calhoun, suggested that the shooting was gang-related, but as of late Saturday night, law enforcement officials had not released any additional information.
In a phone interview with the Taos News at around 10:30 on Saturday night, Calhoun stated, “We plan for this event every year; it’s our 41st year to do this.” “And we had five law enforcement agencies, maybe 40 state police, and some county sheriff’s [deputies] in town. There is always a chance that anything might occur when such a large group, like 25,000 individuals, congregates in a certain area.
Within 30 seconds of the call going out, I believe the first officer arrived on the scene, and the situation was under control, Calhoun continued.
Town of Taos Mayor Pascual Maestas was prompted by the incident in Red River on Saturday to enact a rare prohibition on the sale of alcohol inside the town’s boundaries from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. on Sunday (May 28), as well as a curfew until the same time on Sunday.
The emergency proclamation, according to Maestas, was necessary because Taos had a severe shortage of first responders owing to the enormous law enforcement and emergency services response in Red River.
On Saturday night, police scanner activity depicted a chaotic situation in the Enchanted Circle.
At around 5:45 p.m., an officer broadcast over Taos County Central Dispatch, “Be advised, there is another shootout going on — a rolling shootout — between Banditos [Motorcycle Club] and someone else.”
The tweet below confirms the news of mass shooting:
BREAKING 3 dead, 5 injured in shooting at Memorial Day motorcycle rally in Red River, New Mexico, mayor says, Suspects in custodyhttps://t.co/QSHBFQ61z1 pic.twitter.com/Pbasrv5OY6
— Newstongue (@newstongue) May 28, 2023
Holy Cross Medical Center Prepares for Victims of Red River Shooting
According to the police scanner, Holy Cross Medical Center in Taos had been secured as of at least 5:30 p.m. in preparation for an unknown number of victims. Around 6:00 p.m., ambulances started to arrive at the hospital. According to dispatch reports, multiple individuals were flown from Holy Cross to trauma facilities.
According to Taos County Undersheriff Jerry Hogrefe, the New Mexico State Police are in charge of the shooting investigation.
All I can say is that the state police are in charge of the investigation and that there was a gunshot in Red River today, Hogrefe stated. Multiple emails were sent to State Police asking for details regarding the event received no response.
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Just before 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, another law enforcement officer announced over the police scanner that “They are shutting down Red River.” Another officer reported that between 25 and 30 motorcycles were passing through Taos at 6:30 p.m., adding to other reports that sizable motorcycle groups were either following ambulances or traveling south.
Holy Cross was rather calm outdoors as of 7:00 p.m. At 7:15 p.m., an air ambulance arrived to pick up a casualty for an emergency transfer.
The Taos News was informed by a Taos Police officer who was on the scene at Holy Cross that he did not have a count of the number of victims that were taken to the hospital as a consequence of the shooting, but that “from what we’re hearing it’s more than three.”
This news is breaking. We’ll make updates as new data becomes available.
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