NMSP report sheds light on deadly UNM shooting

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – There are some new details about what role NMSU coaches and players had following the deadly student shooting on UNM’s campus.

NMSU Head Coach, Greg Heiar, did not have much to say Tuesday night after a New Mexico State Police report was released with more information on what happened after the shooting.

In November, former NMSU basketball player, Mike Peake, allegedly shot and killed a UNM student last month. He was reportedly “lured” to campus by four UNM students.

“I can’t comment, it’s an ongoing investigation,” said NMSU Head Coach Greg Heiar.  

Peake’s fellow teammates didn’t have much to say either. 

“He’s one of our brothers. So we love him, and, you know, we got to keep moving forward,” said Kyle Feit, a NMSU basketball player. 

We obtained the report that details what happened after police say Peake shot 19-year-old Brandon Travis on UNM’s campus. 

According to the state police report, Peake put his gun, and other items into the trunk of a yellow Camaro that later drove away from the scene. 

The documents confirm three other NMSU basketball players: Issa Muhammad, Marchelus Avery and Anthony Roy were in that Camaro. 

Assistant Coach Dominique Taylor told police coaches did bed checks at midnight and then took turns watching the lobby.

But, according to the police report, Taylor also said as he watched the lobby, and he saw Peake, and two other NMSU basketball players walk into the hotel just before 1:30 a.m. 

Later that day, NMSP says it was waiting to hear back from either coach about talking to the three players who were in the Camaro, but kept getting their voicemail.

NMSP says it wasn’t until 12:30 that afternoon that an officer finally got a hold of coach Taylor, but the report says it sounded like someone answered and hung up. NMSP finally tracked the NMSU bus down and pulled it over. 

NMSU basketball staff told police Peake’s gun was back at the Double Tree Hotel in Albuquerque. But Peake’s cell phone was somehow back in Las Cruces and Peake’s tablet was on the bus. 

The report states the three players from the Camaro told coach Heiar the gun was in room 209 in the hotel. Heiar had another coach retrieve it and turned it over to police wrapped in a towel at the hotel. 

On Tuesday, NMSU announced Anthony Roy — one of the three players in the Camaro — did not make the road trip to California.  The university also says it will be hiring an external investigator to look into this incident.

In a statement NMSU Chancellor Dan Arvizo said in part: 

“If there’s anything we should have done differently, this report will us know. In the last day, we have received a number of new questions regarding this case. Unfortunately, some of what’s been reported in the media is information NMSU has not been provided.”

He also says the police report had information the university has not been provided.

We also reached out to the New Mexico Higher Education Department about this case. They said it’s been in contact with both universities and fully expects students, and staff to fully cooperate without obstruction or delay. 

The NMSU basketball team has a game Tuesday night in California. All coaches are there, but Roy did not go due to “personal reasons.”