FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Former New Mexico House of Representatives Candidate Charged for Shooting Spree
An indictment was unsealed today in the District of New Mexico charging a former candidate for the New Mexico House of Representatives for a shooting spree targeting the homes of four elected officials.
According to court documents, Solomon Peña, 40, ran for District 14 of the New Mexico House of Representatives during the November 2022 mid-term elections. After his November 2022 electoral defeat, Peña allegedly organized the shootings on the homes of two Bernalillo County commissioners and two New Mexico state legislators. The shootings, one of which involved a machine gun, were carried out between Dec. 4, 2022, and Jan. 3, with assistance from co-conspirators Demetrio Trujillo, 41; Jose Trujillo, 22; and others.
Before the shootings, Peña visited the homes of at least three Bernalillo County commissioners and allegedly urged them not to certify the elec..