At least three died and five were injured after a shooting between rival biker gangs at a biker rally in Red River, New Mexico, on Saturday evening. Witnesses describe the event as a series of rolling shootouts.

Rolling shootouts typically occur when both the shooter and the victim are traveling in separate vehicles. And in this case, the vehicles involved were motorcycles.

Red River Mayor Linda Calhoun spoke about the mass shooting where 3 people were killed and 5 were wounded. And she confirmed that suspects had been apprehended in the biker-gang-related shooting. 

This is the town’s 41st Memorial Day Rally in Red River. The event began on May 25. And will end on May 29.

It is estimated that over 25,000 bikers are currently in town for the rally this weekend. 

 The town was filled with live music. And hundreds of vendors selling food, leather, lace, and motorcycle mementos gathered.

Rolling shootouts 

According to Taos News, the Banditos, an outlaw motorcycle club has been implicated in starting the deadly altercation at around 6 pm.

'Be advised, there is another shootout going on — a rolling shootout — between Banditos [Motorcycle Club] and someone else,' an officer reported via police radio.

'They are shutting down Red River,' another officer advised over the scanner.   

It was originally reported by the Albuquerque Journal that the shooting happened at the Motherlode Saloon in the Red River town limits. The bar denies on Facebook that there was any shooting inside that location.

According to the event schedule, the Bull O' the Woods Saloon sponsored a live music event by Warning Shot at 6 pm when the violence started.

What is known is that 'rolling shootouts' erupted between two rival biker gangs and chaos erupted. 

Police and medical staff were quickly on-scene. The gunshot victims were taken to Holy Cross Medical Center in Taos and to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. Although one of the wounded was airlifted to Denver. 

 At least 25 motorcycles were seen following the ambulances as they transported the wounded to the hospital.

Holy Cross is under lockdown with a large contingency of local police guarding it.  The University of New Mexico Hospital has a deployment of officers from the Albuquerque Police Department. The hospital locked downs are to protect staff and to avoid retaliations to their patients and visitors. 

The New Mexico State Police (NMSP) sent more officers to Red River for the ongoing investigation. 

NMSP also asked citizens to avoid the city while that happens. Red River was effectively shut down following the tragedy.

Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina, who was off duty, when the shooting started. And shared a photo of the event 30 minutes before the shooting occurred. He wrote on Twitter: "Prayers for all impacted by todays shooting in my hometown. Was a great day as I was having dinner with my wife in Red River. What a helpless feeling not having a badge, gun or radio as State Police officers and others enter the restaurant and slowly everything closes down and you don’t even know if you can get to your car or if it’s in the scene.'"

The Mayor of Taos, Pascualito M. Maestas, issued a curfew from 10 pm to 4 am and banned all retailers from selling alcohol during that time period.  

Officials are assuring the citizens that it is believed all the shooters have been apprehended. 

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