Century High School student charged with bringing gun to campus

LOS LUNAS — A student at Century High School is charged with unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon on school premises after a gun was found in his vehicle in late August, and has been released on his own recognizance.

On Thursday, Sept. 26, CHS Principal Clair Toledo told the school resource officer on campus, Vincent Chapa, she had received social media postings about a gun possibly being on campus that day.

According to the probable cause statement filed in district court by Chapa, Toledo conducted a safety check of 18-year-old James Thomas Kirk’s backpack and found a speed loader for a pistol in the bag.

Combined with that and the social media postings, the principal felt an additional look was needed, so Kirk’s vehicle was searched.

Chapa assisted with the search, the statement read, and he discovered a 9 mm handgun in the center console of the vehicle driven by Kirk.

“The handgun was in a position for easy access for fast deployment,” according to Chapa’s statement.

Kirk, of Belen, was read his Miranda rights and taken into custody. He was booked into the Valencia County Detention Center and released on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Conditions of release were approved by Los Lunas Magistrate Deseri Sichler.

Editor's note: The month of the incident has been corrected.