At least three killed at Memorial Day biker rally in New Mexico

At least three people are dead and five injured after ‘rolling shootouts’ erupted between two rival biker gangs in New Mexico, with a town under curfew and hospitals locked down to avoid retaliations. The Memorial Day rally in Red River, the town’s 41st annual installment, turned violent on Saturday when shots rang out at the packed event between rival gangs. Mayor Linda Calhoun confirmed three people died and multiple were injured and that the horrific incident was gang-related. One victim was airlifted to Denver.

Holy Cross Hospital in Taos was put under lockdown with local police guarding it, while The University of New Mexico Hospital is being monitored by the Albuquerque Police Department, according to State Police. The New Mexico State Police have deployed more officers to Red River for the investigation and have asked citizens to avoid the city while that happens. An officer was heard reporting a ‘rolling shootout’ about 6pm between the Banditos Motorcycle Club – a dangerous biker gang – and someone else, according to Taos News. ‘They are shutting down Red River,’ another officer advised over the police scanner, according to the local report.

Witness, Eddie Cook, of Benbrook, Texas, told KOAT that ‘there were people running by where we were standing, screaming: ”They’re shooting down there,”’ as the dangerous scene erupted. ‘I never heard shooting the first round but as they come by, everybody was running,’ he said. The Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina, who was off-duty, shared a photo of the event 30 minutes before the shooting occurred.

He wrote on Twitter: ‘Prayers for all impacted by todays shooting in my hometown. Was a great day as I having dinner with my wife in Red River. What a helpless feeling not having a badge, gun or radio as State Police officers and others enter the restaurant and slowly everything closes down and you don’t even know if you can get to your car or if it’s in the scene.’ The Mayor of Taos, Pascualito M. Maestas, issued a curfew from 10pm to 4am and all retailers are banned from selling alcohol during this time. The Albuquerque Journal originally reported that the shooting occurred at the Motherlode Saloon in Red River, but the bar took to Facebook to deny it was the scene of the bloody conflict. According to the event schedule, bikers were expected to be at Bull O’ the Woods Saloon for a live music event by Warning Shot. More than 25,000 bikers were expected to be in town for the rally this weekend.

The event is scheduled to take place from May 25 to May 29 with multiple vendors selling food, leather, lace, among others. Vendors within the investigation zone have been asked to leave, according to the mayor. The Bandidos bike gang started in San Leon, Texas, in 1966, according to USA Today. It is the largest motorcycle gangs in the US and has thousands of members, according to the FBI. The gang has been involved in distributing cocaine and marijuana, among other drugs, according to the Justice Department. In 2020, Albuquerque law enforcement feared a gang war would erupt as then-newcomers the Mongols moved in. The Mongols origin in New Mexico, according to the Albuquerque Journal, and have around 1,500 members, as of 2020. It is also considered one of the most dangerous biker gangs in the country. ‘The Mongols are also known to frequently commit violent crime including assault, intimidation and murder in defense of their territory, and to uphold the reputation of the club,’ the Justice Department said. It is unconfirmed if the Mongols or Bandidos were involved in Saturday’s shooting. Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12132575/Multiple-people-shot-Memorial-Day-biker-rally-New-Mexico.html?ito=msngallery

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