KRQE TV Reports:An Albuquerque man was arrested this morning in Tucumcari for allegedly shooting his son Monday night at a northeast Albuquerque church.
William Chavez was spotted by family Tuesday morning in Tucumcari and pulled over and arrested a short time later by New Mexico State Police.
The pastor of New Beginnings church on Montgomery Boulevard NE was they were holding a funeral Monday night for a long-time church member when Chavez, her brother, walked in.
“He was very suspicious and had a weird aura about him,” says Pastor Richard Mansfield
Mansfield says Chavez then walked outside the sanctuary and began arguing with his two sons, none of whom were church members. The exchange became so heated security guards stepped in and tried to diffuse the situation.
When it got even more heated, Mansfield says the three man were escorted out.
Mansfield says at one point the older son stepped in to defend his brother and pushed his father. That’s when the security guards say Chavez pulled a gun out of his pants and shot his son in the shoulder and took off while shooting at security guards who were trying to catch him. They were not hurt.
Mansfield says while he always has security guards on hand for situations like this he never thought he would actually need them. He says if it weren’t for them, it’s possible the situation could have escalated in the sanctuary where several people were.
“A church is a sanctuary of peace, of God’s presence, a place to find solace, and all of a sudden when something like this happens I think it reminds us how wicked our world is” says Mansfield. “There are a lot of troubled people out there, and that is why we are here, to minister people.”
Police say the victim in this case is expected to be OK. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
