Posted on 03/16/2002 6:39:01 PM PST by TLBSHOW
New Mexico Man Injured in House Explosion Shoots at Would-Be Rescuers, Killing Two
ROSWELL, N.M. March 16 —
A man injured in a house explosion shot at his rescuers, killing a paramedic and a neighbor and wounding the fire chief and a child before committing suicide Saturday.
Police said they do not know any motive.
The shooter, whose identity was not released, had suffered burns in the house fire and had sought help from his neighbor Randy Houghton, said Officer Robert Giles, a police spokesman.
Steve Lovato, an emergency medical technician, and other fire officials were treating and questioning the man around 2 a.m. when he began shooting. Lovato and Houghton were killed.
Roswell Fire Chief Louis Jones and a 4-year-old boy who was in the home were wounded. Both were airlifted to a Lubbock Hospital. Jones was in critical condition after surgery. The condition of the boy was not released by the hospital.
The gunman killed himself, Giles said.
Other children were in the house, but authorities would not release any details other than to say none was wounded.
The cause of the explosion was still under investigation. The home was allowed to burn to the ground because of potential dangers involved in fighting a blaze of uncertain origins.
An investigative team was analyzing whether the explosion was caused by conventional explosives, natural gas or chemicals, including drug components, Giles said.
Two reasons I say this.
First, thanks to the lax policies of pro druggie Johnson, the place is full of meth labs.
Second, the guy was having a paranoid reaction, common after a bout with meth.
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