13-year-old accused of shooting teacher outside middle school, police say

HOBBS, New Mexico. (KCBD/Gray News) - A 13-year-old in New Mexico is accused of shooting a teacher outside a middle school, according to authorities.

Ryker Teel is facing charges of aggravated assault and tampering with evidence, among others.

Just before 11:40 a.m. on Sept 25, officers say coworkers found teacher Kelly Matthews seriously hurt outside the school.

A caller told 911, “I need the police and I need an ambulance to Highland Middle School immediately. We have a staff member either stabbed or shot out behind the school.”

Police released body camera footage to KCBD, which shows Officer Mann jumping a fence and running to help school nurse Sylvia Pena, who was tending to Matthews’ wounds.

His body camera footage shows Mann asked Matthews who did this to him.

“I don’t know, I don’t know. They were standing and facing that corner right there and I came out and they turned around and they just started firing and took off running,” Matthews said.

In the video, Matthews told investigators the suspect was wearing glasses and a mask of some kind. Mann relayed the description over his police radio.

Police later broadcast a description of a white male with a black hoodie, black pants and a long white shirt underneath the hoodie.

The footage shows officers used that description to find Teel in an alley nearby. When asked his name, he said, “Ryker Teel, sir.”

In handcuffs, Teel apologized and asked, “Is he dead? I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Is he dead?” Officers took Teel into custody.

Detectives later interviewed Teel with his mother and father present. According to the report, after detectives left the interview room, Teel was allegedly overheard telling his father he got the gun from the safe in their home.

The report states he admitted to shooting a man at the school and that he took the gun to school with the intention to shoot “anyone” and not specifically the man he shot.

Matthews’ wife says he’s currently working to recover at a rehab center.

She says they are praying for a full recovery, but each day is a challenge and they aren’t sure what the long-term effects will be. She said she wants to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.