New Mexico Gun-Tracking Tech Links 74 Shootings to 31 Guns in Just Months
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — A powerful new gun-tracking program is already revolutionizing crime investigations in Doña Ana County by connecting dozens of shooting incidents through the analysis of shell casings, according to data from the New Mexico Department of Justice.
Using ballistic evidence from recovered bullet casings, the program, part of New Mexico’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, employs the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to identify when shell casings originate from the same firearm. This allows law enforcement to connect seemingly unrelated shooting crimes both locally and across jurisdictions.
Attorney General Raúl Torrez emphasized the system’s broad reach in April, explaining how shootings in different towns can be linked. “There may be a shooting that occurs in Deming that’s actually connected to a crime gun that’s recovered in Las Cruces. We may find shell casings in Silver City that are connected to something that happened in T or C,” Torrez said.
Impact: Dozens of Shootings Now Linked to a Small Set of Weapons
In just four months, the program analyzed 210 shell casings in Doña Ana County alone, linking 32 shooting incidents to 13 guns. Statewide, more than 700 casings have been processed, tying 74 shootings to 31 firearms. These numbers illustrate how a limited number of weapons are behind a growing share of violent crime.
“That’s crazy. Honestly, all those shootings all coming from that little amount of weapons is crazy,” said one local resident reacting to the data.
Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart pointed to the program’s immediate impact: “We resolved a homicide with a suspect arrest in four days. We know that those casings may lead to another 1 or 2 incidents in another city.”
Faster, Smarter Investigations Amid Rising Gun Violence
Officials say the ballistic tracking system is designed to improve information sharing and speed up investigations across city and county lines. Though some residents remain cautious about the technology’s ability to fully solve gun violence, many see it as a step forward.
“Growing up, like hearing gunshots in the distance… I’d say guns are a problem there,” said one longtime resident. Another added, “It’s a good thing… just anything to help the gun crimes.”
Across the U.S., cities tackling gun violence are adopting similar shell casing tracking programs, which provide law enforcement with vital ballistic leads previously unavailable or too time-consuming to exploit.
Authorities at KFOX14/CBS4 reached out to the Las Cruces Police Department and Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office for details on how leads are being pursued in ongoing investigations but have not yet received a response.
What’s Next?
The New Mexico Department of Justice plans to expand this tracking initiative statewide, leveraging ballistic data to connect more crimes and disrupt violent firearm networks. For California and other states grappling with gun violence, New Mexico’s program offers a model combining technology and collaboration to bring faster justice and potentially save lives.
As gun violence surges nationally, this approach highlights how smart data use in real time can equip law enforcement with new tools in the fight to curb shootings.
