NEED TO KNOW
- Desirae Martin, 29, was fatally shot inside a Las Cruces, N.M., home on Friday, Dec. 19, police said
- Authorities said the suspect, a 38-year-old man who barricaded himself inside the residence, later died by suicide
- Martin, a caregiver, singer and actress, was identified on Dec. 23; loved ones described her as warm, creative and devoted to helping others
New Mexico authorities said a 29-year-old woman was fatally shot inside a home last week, while a suspect who barricaded himself inside the residence later died by suicide.
The Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD) said the incident occurred on Friday, Dec. 19, in the 1100 block of Berkshire Court. The initial call came in about 4:30 p.m.
“The suspect, a 38-year-old man, barricaded himself inside the home,” police said in a news release. “LCPD called out its SWAT, hostage negotiation and K-9 teams and attempted to make contact with the suspect, but to no avail.”
About three hours later, said police, members of the SWAT team entered the residence and “found the suspect dead from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
Police said at the time that the investigation was ongoing.
On Tuesday, Dec. 23, authorities identified the female victim as Desirae Martin, according to CBS affiliate KDAC, Fox affiliate KFOX and the Albuquerque Journal.
In a GoFundMe created by her cousin Adri Florez, Martin — who was nicknamed Dezz — was described as a “talented singer and actress” who “could light up a room just by walking in.”
“She was beautiful, caring, and selfless, always putting others before herself and making everyone around her feel loved. Dezz cherished her family and friends deeply, and when we were all together, she just wanted us to be close and happy,” Florez wrote on the fundraiser.
gofundme
“Dezz also had a special love for Alice in Wonderland, she found so much joy and inspiration in its whimsical world, and it was a big part of her life,” Florez added, “Her kindness and warmth touched so many lives, and her loss has left a hole in our hearts that can never be filled.”
Family and friends said Desirae was working inside a home as a caregiver when the Friday shooting occurred, per the Journal.
“That’s what she wanted to do, is help people,” Johnny Martin, Desirae’s father, told the outlet. “That’s why she was working at that house. She was just being her.”
Desirae was a graduate of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. In addition to caregiving, she was involved in the Las Cruces theater scene as a singer and actress.
She had been planning to travel home to Salt Lake City to spend the Christmas holiday with her loved ones this past weekend, per the Journal.
“She was a shooting star. She really was. She wanted to go and help. That was her goal in life, was to help other people,” Johnny Martin also told KFOX.
“I miss my little girl. And I want her home,” he also said.
Meanwhile, Desirae’s dad is also seeking answers on what happened last Friday.
“I want to know how a mentally ill person was able to live in that home and put my daughter in that position,” Johnny Martin told the Journal. “And where did he get a gun?”
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The GoFundMe that Desirae’s cousin Florez organized will pay to bring Desirae home to her parents in Utah and other expenses.
PEOPLE contacted the Las Cruces Police Department on Thursday, Dec. 25, for additional information.
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