ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A man protesting for removal of a statue outside the Albuquerque Museum was shot late Monday night, multiple media outlets reported.
Here are the latest updates:
Update 1:49 a.m. EDT June 16: In an overnight tweet, Albuquerque police gave an update on their investigation into the shooting during a protest at Tiguex Park.
“The incident at Tiguex Park has ended peacefully and APD’s Emergency Response Teams are leaving the Old Town area. The FBI is currently assisting APD violent crime investigators as they interview individuals who were involved in the shooting,” the department tweeted shortly before 1 a.m. EDT Tuesday.
Police said the investigation was “in the preliminary stages." The shooting victim’s condition was listed as critical but stable, authorities said.
“We are receiving reports about vigilante groups possibly instigating this violence," police Chief Michael Geier said in a statement. “If this is true will be holding them accountable to the fullest extent of the law, including federal hate group designation and prosecution."
Original report: According to KOB4, the unidentified man has been transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, but his condition remained unknown.
The protest at Tiguex Park was for the removal of a Juan de Oñate statue, “La Jornada,” but shots were fired into the crowd moments before protesters attempted to topple the monument with a chain, the TV station reported.
According to reporters on the scene, police have deployed tear gas and non-lethal projectiles, but protesters continue to try to bring the statue down.