The view through the camper shell of the pickup truck involved in Sunday’s incident showing where the bullet went through to the cab and struck the driver. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

A second bullet hole in the sideview mirror of the pickup truck that was shot at while passing Anderson Overlook Sunday, November 14. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com

BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

A Los Alamos man is lucky to be alive after a man with a rifle shot at his vehicle close to midnight Sunday, November 14 at Anderson Overlook on the Main Hill Road.

Los Alamos Police Department responded to the incident after LAPD Dispatch received a 911 call from a man who reported that he had been shot by a someone driving a white Mazda 3 and that he was driving himself to Los Alamos Medical Center.

LAPD has declined to issue a statement on the incident because the incident happened in Santa Fe County and Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office will not release any information until their incident report has been signed off.

A records request to LAPD yielded the Dispatch log for the 911 call, which does not identify the victim, who is reportedly an employee of N3B.

The Dispatch log notes that the victim said he was driving to Los Alamos and the other driver passed him after flashing his lights. When the victim passed Anderson Overlook, the Mazda 3 was sitting there. Then someone shot with a rifle at the victim’s vehicle. As the photos above show, one bullet went through the camper and hit the back of the victim’s seat. Another bullet went through the driver’s mirror. Sgt. Ryan Wolking and Cpl. Robert Larsen headed to Anderson Overlook but the Mazda was gone. Cpl. John Schwettmann drove to LAMC.

The Dispatch log indicates that Cpl. Larsen found two rifle casings at Anderson Overlook. At that point Sgt. Wolking notified Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

No information is available on the victim’s condition. Unofficial sources tell the Reporter that the bullet hit the victim’s head but did not penetrate his skull.

More details will be reported once they are received from Santa Fe County.

The identity of the victim is known to the Los Alamos Reporter but will not be released out of respect for him.