Bennie J. Hargrove was a courageous and protective 13-year-old boy from Albuquerque, New Mexico. His family remembered the Black eighth-grader as funny, playful, and smart, a tough kid who loved basketball and was great with his younger siblings. His protective nature was a core part of who he was, a quality that would define his final moments.
On August 13, 2021, during the lunch hour at Washington Middle School, Bennie saw a fellow student, Juan Saucedo Jr., bullying smaller
classmates. Bennie walked up to Saucedo and told him to stop, saying he “didn’t want to fight” but wanted the other boy to “leave his friends alone.” In response, Saucedo, who was also 13, pulled out a gun he had brought to school and shot Bennie multiple times in front of other students. Bennie was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Juan Saucedo Jr. was arrested and initially charged with first-degree murder. On March 2, 2023, Saucedo, then 14, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder. During a somber court hearing, Bennie’s family spoke of their profound loss. His grandmother, Vanessa Sawyer, said, “There is no justice that we could receive, because we can never get Bennie back.” His mother, Collette Wise, asked for the maximum sentence, expressing her hope that Saucedo would one day “choose to rehabilitate his mind, body and soul for the day when he gets a second chance at life that my son will never get again.” The judge sentenced Saucedo to remain in the custody of the Children, Youth and Families Department until he turns 21, the maximum punishment allowed by law.
In the wake of the shooting, Bennie’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Albuquerque Public Schools, alleging that the school was mismanaged and that a resource officer had been warned Saucedo had a gun but failed to act. In November 2023, the school district settled with the Hargrove family for $900,000 and agreed to implement an anti-bullying campaign.
Bennie’s death spurred significant change in his community and state. In March 2023, the governor of New Mexico signed the Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety Act, or “Bennie’s Law,” which requires gun owners to keep their firearms safely stored away from minors. On May 18, 2023, on what would have been his 15th birthday, the City of Albuquerque renamed the park beside Washington Middle School as Bennie J Hargrove Park. A tribute tree, a Texas red oak chosen for Bennie’s favorite color, was planted in his memory. His mother said the dedication brought her a sense of peace, ensuring that her son’s life and sacrifice would always be remembered. The civil settlement in November 2023 marked the final legal development in the case.
