⏱ 2 min read
Matthew Albain Alarcon, a 40-year-old Las Cruces man, fired multiple shots at St. Genevieve’s Catholic Church in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on May 4, 2026. The shooting occurred at the church’s front glass entrance, with five bullet holes and five .380 caliber shell casings found at the scene. Surveillance footage showed a black sedan arriving at the church, and a man exiting the driver’s side to fire the shots. Alarcon allegedly committed the crime due to his religious beliefs, stating he was the ‘chosen one’ to carry out the act.
Alarcon was identified as the suspect after officers encountered the same vehicle on May 11, 2026, while responding to an attempted burglary call at a Las Cruces business. A search warrant executed on the vehicle led to the recovery of a handgun, which Alarcon admitted belonged to him. He also admitted to shooting at the church during a May 14 interview.
Alarcon is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to a prior New Mexico felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance. He is now charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Alarcon will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo prosecuting. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced the charges.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: New Mexico
- Location: NM
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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