Teenage gunman kills five in New Mexico

A teenage boy fatally shot two adults and three children inside a New Mexico home, authorities said on Sunday.

The teen was arrested and faces murder and other charges in connection with the shootings Saturday night, Bernalillo County sheriff’s spokesman Aaron Williamson said.

The victims’ identities haven’t been released, and the boy’s motive and connection to the five victims weren’t immediately known. Williamson said investigators were trying to determine if the victims were related.

Investigators were trying to determine who owned several guns that were found at the home. One was a semi-automatic military-style rifle.

Authorities weren’t releasing the teen’s name or age. He was booked on two counts of murder and three counts of child abuse resulting in death.

The reports of the shooting came days after US President Barack Obama unveiled a series of sweeping measures aimed at addressing gun violence in the wake of last month’s school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

The proposed measures include a ban on some military-style assault rifles and closing loopholes that allow many gun buyers to avoid background checks.

The killing of 26 people at the Connecticut school, including 20 young children, has galvanised gun control advocates, but congressional opposition remains high to new restrictions on the constitutional right to bear arms.

(FRANCE 24 with wires)