Religious dispute ends with man shot and killed in New Mexico oilfield, media reports
A man is accused of shooting and killing his friend in a New Mexico oilfield after they got into a fight about religion, according to media reports.
The deadly shooting happened just before midnight on May 17 at an oilfield work site in Eddy County, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The Eddy County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment further on the case, but KRQE reported that Tevin Morrissette, a 29-year-old from Alabama, and Avery Weathers, 33, from Louisiana, were drinking when the topic of religion came up.
The discussion turned into an argument and escalated into a physical fight, according to the outlet.
A coworker tried to break up the fight, according to the Albuquerque Journal, but Morrissette retrieved a gun from an SUV.
“Someone’s gonna die tonight,” Morrissette said before reportedly shooting Weathers, according to court records obtained by the Albuquerque Journal.
Weathers died from at least one gunshot wound and Morrissette was found with bruises, cuts and a dislocated shoulder, the Journal reported.
Morrissette was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, according to court records. He is being held without bail at Eddy County Detention Center in Carlsbad.
Detectives are investigating the shooting and asked anyone with information to contact Sgt. Kane Wyatt or Detective Rory Preece at 575-887-7551.
Carlsbad is about 280 miles southeast of Albuquerque.
This story was originally published May 18, 2022 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Religious dispute ends with man shot and killed in New Mexico oilfield, media reports."
