A New Mexico woman was shot in the neck by her stepson at a high school graduation ceremony in Albuquerque, authorities said.

Christian Bencomo, 21, was arrested at the scene at the Albuquerque Convention Center Wednesday night, according to police.

The victim was not publicly identified, though Albuquerque police said her injuries are not considered to be life-threatening.

Students from Southwest Secondary Learning Center, an Albuquerque charter school, had gathered at the convention center Wednesday for their graduation ceremony.

But around 5 p.m., a gunshot rang out inside the building. Cops were initially told it was an active shooter situation, but investigators arrived to find one bullet had been fired a single person, according to Albuquerque police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos.

The victim was attending the graduation of her biological son when her stepson, Bencomo, approached her, police said.

“As she started to hug him, he produced a handgun and shot her in the neck,” the Albuquerque Police Department said on social media “Bystanders held him until officers arrived.”

Bencomo was charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, aggravated assault and two counts of unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon, according to NBC News.

There were likely more than 100 people in attendance for the graduation ceremony, Gallegos said.

“All of the sudden there was this big pop, and we all got quiet, looked around, and most of us, it turned out, most of us thought it was just a balloon, a celebratory balloon,” witness Mary Ward told local NBC affiliate KOB. “But then all of the sudden, they just started shouting ‘Get down, get down.’ And it’s just overwhelming. That situation is so scary.”

In a Wednesday full of exciting games, we witnessed the debut of four new MLS teams, while other fierce battles unfolded on fields across the country. But it was the clash between New Mexico United and Real Salt Lake that truly captured attention.

At Isotopes Park, New Mexico United staged an impressive comeback against Real Salt Lake, securing their spot in the next phase of the competition. In a thrilling match, the hosts relied on a stellar performance from Zico Bailey, former right-back for FC Cincinnati, who netted two goals within a mere two minutes, establishing an imposing early lead for his team. Despite efforts from Fidel Barajas and Diego Luna, who scored for Real Salt Lake, New Mexico United showcased their determination and quality, solidifying a 4-2 victory with additional goals from Nicky Hernandez and Jacobo Reyes.

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New Mexico United’s surprising win not only underscores the unpredictability of the U.S. Open Cup but also highlights the growing quality and competitiveness of USL Championship teams, capable of challenging MLS giants and clinching impressive results.

In other competition matches, MLS favorites confirmed their status by advancing to the next phase. Sporting Kansas City, LAFC, and Seattle Sounders FC displayed their strength and skill in overcoming their opponents, joining Atlanta United, FC Dallas, and San Jose Earthquakes, who had already secured their berths earlier. These teams, with their stellar rosters and high-level experience, remain the top contenders for the U.S. Open Cup title, but the journey is just beginning.

The arrests are the result of a monthslong undercover operation in which the suspects connected with decoy accounts that were set up by the state Department of Justice. The investigation began in December around the time the state filed a civil lawsuit against the social media giant, claiming Meta was failing to take basic precautionary measures to ensure children were safe on its platforms.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said during a news conference Wednesday that the suspects communicated and exchanged explicit sexual content through Facebook’s messenger app and were clear in expressing a sexual interest in children.

“It’s extraordinarily concerning to us just how easily these individuals found the undercover personas that were created,” Torrez said. “And it is, frankly, I think a wakeup call for all of us to understand just how serious these kinds of threats are.”

He placed blame on Meta executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and suggested that the company was putting profits above the interests of parents and children.

“For those of us who are engaged in this work, we are simply tired of the rhetoric,” he said. “We are tired of the assurances that have been given to members of our communities, to members of Congress, to policymakers that all reasonable steps have been taken to ensure that this type of behavior doesn’t occur.”

Meta disputed the allegations and reiterated Wednesday that it uses technology to prevent suspicious adults from finding or interacting with children and teens on its apps and that it works with law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting offenders.

The company also said it has hired child safety experts, reports content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and shares information and tools with others to help root out predators.

“This is an ongoing fight, where determined criminals evolve their tactics across platforms to try and evade protections,” Meta said in an emailed statement.

While the state attorney general’s office will continue working to identify predators who are targeting children, Torrez said it’s too early to say whether that work will have a bearing on the civil litigation.

As part of that lawsuit, New Mexico prosecutors say they have uncovered internal documents in which Meta employees estimate about 100,000 children every day are subjected to sexual harassment on the company’s platforms.

The three defendants in the criminal case were identified as Fernando Clyde, Marlon Kellywood and Christopher Reynolds. Prosecutors are seeking to detain them pending trial on charges that include child solicitation by an electronic communication device.

Hearings have yet to be scheduled, and court records did not list attorneys who could speak on behalf of Clyde and Kellywood. A message was left with the public defender’s office, which is representing Reynolds.