On the morning of October 12, 2023, a dispute in the Artesia Public Safety Complex parking lot ended with the death of 42-year-old Mark Owen Rommel. The confrontation involved two men who had both been involved with the same woman and occurred during a planned child custody exchange. Witnesses described an initially non-hostile conversation that quickly escalated when one man produced a firearm and fired multiple rounds. Rommel, who was unarmed, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator.

An Artesia Police Department officer nearby witnessed the shooting and fired at least one round, striking the shooter and stopping the attack. The shooter was transported to a hospital with injuries described as not life-threatening. Investigators with the New Mexico State Police say the shooter had armed himself before arriving at the complex. If anyone witnessed the custody exchange or the events in the parking lot, can you share what you saw?