U.S. New Mexico high school shooting gunman identified

HOUSTON, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The official from FBI and police department of New Mexico, the United States on Friday identified the Aztec High School shooter who shot dead two students - one boy and one girl -- on Thursday.

San Juan County Sheriff Ken Christensen told a press conference held at the San Juan County Sheriff's Office, the shooter is William Atchinson, 21-year-old man, who pretended to be a student and fired randomly, killing 2 before he killed himself.

Atchinson is from Aztec, and had attended Aztec High School in the past, but was not enrolled at the time of the incident.

The two victims were the first to encounter the shooter, but they did not know him. The police said Paco Fernandez, one of victims, likely saved lives by encountering the gunman in the bathroom where the shooter was preparing mass shooting.

The police officials said they may never know the motive behind the shooting incident because the gunman is dead.

Governor of New Mexico Susana Martinez attended the press conference, and said the fact that "you carry a gun into a school with multiple magazines and start shooting at people, that to me is pure evil."

The shooting incident happened around 8 am Thursday morning at Aztec High School, about 290 km northwest of Albuquerque, capital city of New Mexico.

The city of Aztec is the county seat of San Juan County in northwest New Mexico. Enditem