NMSU player Mike Peake allegedly involved in UNM shooting
The New Mexico State-University of New Mexico basketball game scheduled to tip off Saturday in Albuquerque has been postponed after a shooting death on the UNM campus.
NMSU basketball player Mike Peake was injured in the shooting and is hospitalized, according to multiple sources.
Details of the UNM shooting
New Mexico State Police is investigating the homicide on the main campus of UNM.
Police stated that there was an altercation between a 19-year-old male and a 21-year-old male about 3 am Saturday, and both sustained gunshot wounds.
The 19-year-old was pronounced dead on the scene while the 21-year-old was transported to an area hospital, according to NMSP’s statement.
State police have not released the names of those involved in the shooting, however they have confirmed that the 19-year-old was a UNM student and the 21-year-old is a NMSU student.
Portions of UNM roads and lots near Coronado Hall, a complex for students living on campus, remained closed into Saturday afternoon as police conducted an investigation. Students who heard the shooting said it happened about 3:15 to 3:20 am near a back entrance to the residence hall, and said police arrived within 5 to 10 minutes.
Mike Peake’s alleged involvement
Multiple sources confirmed to the sun-news that the 21-year-old shot in the incident is NMSU men’s basketball junior forward Mike Peake.
New Mexico State officials have yet to publicly confirm Peake’s involvement nor have they provided updates on his injuries or condition.
Peake is one of two returning members from last year’s Aggie team and was NMSU’s starting power forward for the first two games of the season. Peake is averaging 9 points per game, 3.5 rebounds and 2 blocks in just over 20 minutes per game this season.
A Chicago native, Peake spent most of high school playing in Kansas. The 6-foot-7, 218-pound forward played at Georgia and Austin Peay before coming to NMSU for the 2021-22 season.
UNM-NMSU game postponed
The New Mexico State and New Mexico basketball programs have a fierce in-state competition, called the Rio Grande Rivalry. Each team won on the other’s home court last year. Their first matchup this year was supposed to tip off at 5 pm Saturday in front of a nearly sold-old Pit in Albuquerque.
The teams released a statement Saturday morning noting the game was postponed: “In light of the tragic incident earlier this morning on the University of New Mexico campus, the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University have jointly decided to postpone this evening’s men’s basketball contest between the schools. Our thoughts are with all of those impacted by this tragedy.”
The schools have not announced details of when the game in Albuquerque may be played.
The teams are scheduled to meet at New Mexico State’s Pan American Center at 7 pm Dec. 3.
NMSU basketball bus stopped
New Mexico State Police stopped a bus carrying New Mexico State players from Albuquerque back to Las Cruces on Saturday afternoon, state police confirmed.
The bus was stopped at or near the Fort Craig rest area around mile post 114 on Interstate 25, which is about the halfway point between the two cities.
The bus was stopped “as part of the ongoing investigation into the homicide at UNM. That bus has since been released,” State Police spokesman Ray Wilson wrote in an email.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Stephen Wagner is a sports reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can found on Twitter at @stephenwag22 and reached at [email protected] Lucas Peerman is the news director for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached at [email protected] and @LittleGuyInATie on Twitter.