New Mexico State AD Mario Mocccia announced the school has indefinitely suspended Mike Peake from its men’s basketball team following Peake’s involvement in a deadly shooting on the
University of New Mexico campus in the early morning hours of Nov. 19.
Moccia would not comment on Peake’s status as a student and will make no decisions until completion of a university and police investigation. .
KOAT TV reported the firearm used by Peake in the shooting, which left a 19-year old UNM student dead, was recovered in the possession of a New Mexico State assistant coach at the team hotel.
The 6-7 Peake told invesrigtors he was lured to to New Mescio’s Coronado Hall dormitory by a group of students seeking revenge from a ftght htr they and Peake were involved in during a football game in Las Cruces Oct. 15. New Mexico
State previously reported Peake and others were disciplined, but the details were never revealed.
Peake and the rest of the team were in Albuquweque for a Nov. 19 game against New Mexico. according to police, Peake told investigators he snuck out of the team hotel to meet a female UNM student he had been exchanging text messages with. He told police he was assalted by three men shortly after arriving.
Peake said he was hit in the leg with a baseball bat by one of the men before UNM student Brandon Travis began shooting at Peake as he attempted to flea. A police report said Peake pulled a handgun, shooting and killing Travis, who died on
the scene after being shot four times. Peake, 21, suffered a non-life threatening gun shot wound in the leg and was treated at UNM hospital.
Police say Peake transported his handgun from Las Cruces with him on the team bus, and according to the TV station, The handgun was discovered after a detective pulled over the bus bringing home and team and discovered evidence was on board. State police reportedly found the gun used in the shooting with an assistant coach Dominique Taylor coach at a team hotel as well as Peake’s tablet on the team bus, and his cell phone in the possession of a school administrator. , .
The decison to suspend Peake was not made public. It was first reported by the Las Cruces Sun-News. Moccia said he had known the player for years and didn’t feel the need to rush to judgment while Peake was recovering in the hospital from multiple procedures. Peake has not been chargd in the shooting, which led to the cancelation of the game and the team’s return game Dec.3 in Las Cruces. Peake started the first two games of the season for the Aggies, scoring 16 points and grabbing 5 rebounds in an opening game win over New Mexico Highland.
