NMSU suspends Peake amid probe into shooting

LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- New Mexico State powerfulness guardant Mike Peake has been suspended indefinitely from the hoops squad successful transportation with past month's fatal shooting of a pupil from the University of New Mexico, diversion manager Mario Moccia said.

Moccia told reporters Monday nighttime that neither helium nor the schoolhouse could remark connected Peake's enrollment presumption arsenic a student. Peake, 21, has not been charged successful the Nov. 19 predawn shooting connected the New Mexico field successful Albuquerque hours earlier the big Lobos were to play the Aggies.

The crippled betwixt the schools was canceled, on with the Dec. 3 rematch successful Las Cruces.

"Mike is suspended from our hoops squad until the completion of the university's probe and the probe of the due authorities," Moccia said. "When those investigations volition beryllium complete, I can't say."

State constabulary investigators said Brandon Travis allegedly conspired with 2 different UNM students and a teenage miss to lure Peake onto campus.

The consequent shootout near Travis dormant astatine the country and Peake hospitalized with a limb coiled that has required respective surgeries. Travis was 19.

A brawl astatine an Oct. 15 UNM-NMSU shot crippled successful Las Cruces was a precursor to the shooting, constabulary said.

First-year NMSU men's hoops manager Greg Heiar was not made disposable to speech to media until 10 days aft the shooting. He expressed his condolences for Travis and his household and said helium took afloat work for the actions of aggregate players who sneaked retired of the edifice connected that greeting of the game.

Until Monday, NMSU officials had not spoken publically astir immoderate circumstantial subject for Peake related to the shooting.

"If determination is disapproval implicit this decision, I americium successful a presumption to instrumentality it connected myself," Moccia said. "I've known this subordinate for years and I cognize what benignant of idiosyncratic helium is. I didn't consciousness a request to unreserved to judgment. I wanted to springiness the probe clip to play retired earlier making immoderate decisions."

Peake, a 6-foot-7 inferior from Chicago, played 1 play astatine Georgia earlier transferring to Austin Peay. He joined New Mexico State successful 2021 and averaged 4.1 points and 2.4 rebounds past season, helping the Aggies scope the 2nd circular of the NCAA tournament.