A mother is recovering after being shot by her stepson during a graduation ceremony for Southwest Secondary Learning Center, at the Albuquerque Convention Center, on Wednesday, according to court documents.
Cristian Joshua Bencomo, 21, was taken into custody directly following the incident and is charged with aggravated battery of a household member, use of a firearm, unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon, and negligent use of a deadly weapon.
Bystander video shows police dragging Cristian Bencomo out of the convention center and wailing can be heard in the background.
No motive for the shooting was provided.
An APD spokesperson referred to the shooter as Christian Bencomo, but charging documents name him Cristian Joshua Bencomo
The crowd grew silent
Mary Ward, senior pastor at Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church, attended the graduation ceremony to support one of her parishioners. When the shooting happened, Ward said she at first thought a balloon had popped.
But seconds later the room grew silent.
Then…
”Everyone started shouting to get down,” she said.
Ward said she shielded an elderly parishioner and several others who had attended the graduation ceremony with her.
“I was trying to protect them while looking back to see if the shooter was moving around and I just saw commotion,” she said. “We all stayed down until we started hearing shouts of, ‘everybody get out now.’”
He didn’t say anything to her
According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court, Cristian Bencomo shot his stepmother in the neck after she congratulated her biological son on his graduation.
After the shooting, Victoria Bencomo threw her hands in the air and then fell to the ground.
Bystanders told police that they then saw Cristian Bencomo lift his foot as if he was going to stomp on his stepmother. That’s when one man grabbed Cristian Bencomo by the belt and — with the help of another bystander — pinned him to the ground until police arrived.
Ward said after the shooting everyone scattered looking for their loved ones.
“I saw three men carry the woman out and there were several others still in the auditorium pinning down the shooter,” she said.
Victoria Bencomo was transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where police were able to interview her before she underwent surgery. According to the affidavit, Victoria Bencomo told police she was congratulating her son on his graduation when she saw Cristian Bencomo. She went to hug him, and that’s when he shot her.
She said he didn’t say anything to her before the shooting.
A calm in the storm
The incident, Ward said, was horrifying.
“We were all just looking at each other. It was just a matter of seconds, but it felt so long,” she said. “The fear of not knowing what was coming next was pretty significant.”
Eventually, Ward was able to get her friends out of the building, and that’s when her pastoral instincts kicked in and she went back inside to see how she could help.
“I went to a few people who were upset and I said, ‘Hey, I’m a minister, how can I help,’ and it ended up being the family of the victim,” she said.
So she stayed with the family until police said they could leave, and then gave them a ride to the hospital.
No real security
Ward has kept in touch with the family and told City Desk ABQ that Victoria Bencomo was in surgery for hours last night, and is now stable, but currently on a ventilator.
A call to the Bencomo family was not returned to City Desk ABQ by press time.
After the shooting, Ward said she realized that there was no real security at the graduation ceremony. No bags were searched and it was bystanders who assisted Victoria and captured Cristian Bencomo.
A call to Southwest Secondary Learning Center and the convention center for comment was not returned to City Desk ABQ by press time.
As a pastor, Ward said she feels she has a little bit more responsibility to the community.
“I’m glad I got to be there in that capacity. I felt a sense of obligation. Of wanting to be there,” she said.