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Las Cruces Shooting Suspect Charged With Two Counts Of Attempted Murder

  The man suspected in Sunday morning’s shooting that injured two others has been charged.  Philip Curtis Zaman, 23, of Cochiti Lake, N.M., is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder. The charges are second-degree felonies.

The two shooting victims, ages 22 and 23, were transported to University Medical Center of El Paso. Their injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.

Shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, Las Cruces Police were called to the 1100 block of Gardner Avenue where officers found two men suffering from gunshot wounds. A witness told officers the shooting suspect was believed to be Philip Zaman who resides on campus at New Mexico State University.

LCPD requested assistance from New Mexico State University police who located Zaman in the parking lot of Garcia Hall. Zaman was detained for questioning.

Las Cruces Police detectives learned that Zaman was attending a house party with several other individuals early Sunday morning and asked 22-year-old Kellen Hester to give him a ride to his residence at Garcia Hall. Hester obliged and returned to the party on Gardner Avenue.

Detectives determined that a short time later Zaman returned to the party armed with a .40-caliber handgun. Witnesses said Zaman kicked in a door and entered the residence. Once inside, he shot Hester in the abdomen and 23-year-old Robert Williams in the face.

Williams was airlifted to UMC while Hester was transported by ambulance to the same hospital.

Detectives subsequently located a .40-caliber handgun in Zaman’s gray Toyota Scion.

Zaman was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he is being held without bond.

Information from Las Cruces Police