SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M. (AP) — A call to authorities about a possible active shooter on a pueblo north of Albuquerque on Monday that led to the evacuation of some guests at a hotel appears to be unfounded, according to an FBI agent.
There were no injuries or deaths and officers didn't find any weapons after law enforcement cleared the hotel rooms following the call, FBI special agent in charge Raul Bujanda said.
"There’s still an ongoing investigation, but what I can tell you right now is there’s no threat to the community or to the resort itself,” he said. Federal, state, local and tribal officers responded to the initial call, blocking off the narrow winding road to the remote hotel with police cruisers, their lights flashing.
The resort is tucked into the hills along the west side of the Rio Grande on tribal land north of Albuquerque.
“We take everything seriously because you don’t know exactly what it is that you have until you actually go in and investigate,” Bujanda said.
Federal and tribal officials said these kinds of threats have been happening across the country — some are connected, some are not. Authorities said they will know more about the origins of the threat called in Monday afternoon when their investigation is complete.
After the call came in, staff and guests were evacuated to the adjacent golf course, where authorities conducted interviews as rooms were cleared.
By Monday evening, the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort had lifted the lockdown and started allowing people to return.
Santa Ana Pueblo Gov. Nathan Garcia said he was thankful there was no truth to the call.
Pueblo emergency managers said it served as a training opportunity and that more training is being planned with multiple jurisdictions in the area.
“We have to have plans in place. Look at this district right here,” Garcia said, as rush-hour traffic passed through a major intersection nearby. “It can happen anywhere but we have to be cohesive, together to make this work and keep our people safe.”
No one answered at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort when The Associated Press called seeking information about the situation.