Teen booked in Farmington linked to deadly car wash shooting

Farmington police booked 18-year-old Cameron Irvin Lewis on Jan. 12 on charges connected to an Aug. 31, 2025 shooting at the Valley Grande Car Wash that left Jesse Hensley and Lamar White dead. Authorities allege Lewis brandished a rifle at a meeting that morning and that a single shooter later opened fire, according to an arrest affidavit summarized by investigators.

The affidavit states multiple vehicles arrived at the car wash before the shooting and that witnesses reported firearms were pointed during the encounter. Investigators say a black bag taken from a victim was later recovered inside Lewis’ vehicle. Lewis faces counts of aggravated battery and negligent use of a firearm. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Jan. 21 in Farmington Magistrate Court.

"Lewis reportedly accompanied White to an early morning meeting at the Valley Grande Car Wash."

Farmington police have not announced additional charges against others involved in the incident, and it remains unclear whether further arrests will follow. The two deaths on Aug. 31 rattled families and neighbors in San Juan County, raising questions about public safety at widely used community sites and about how young people become entangled in deadly disputes.

Beyond criminal accountability, the case highlights broader public health and community impacts. Fatal shootings create ripples of trauma: survivors, first responders and community members often contend with grief, post-traumatic stress and reduced sense of safety that can strain local clinics and mental health providers. For residents already facing gaps in behavioral health access, violent incidents intensify demand for counseling, victim advocacy and culturally competent services.

Local leaders and health providers will need to weigh how to expand trauma-informed care and violence-prevention programming that reaches young people at risk. The criminal charges focus on legal responsibility for a single act, but community advocates emphasize prevention strategies that address underlying drivers of violence, including economic marginalization, access to firearms, and lack of youth services.

For San Juan County residents, the immediate next steps are the Jan. 21 preliminary hearing and ongoing inquiries by investigators. Families of the victims and neighbors will look to law enforcement for transparent updates and to local officials for support services. Health systems and community organizations may face renewed calls to coordinate grief counseling, hospital follow-up for survivors and outreach to youth.

This case is a reminder that criminal justice outcomes and public health responses must work in tandem. As the court process moves forward, residents should expect updates from the magistrate calendar and from local authorities, and community groups may mobilize to offer support and to press for prevention measures that reduce the chance of another early-morning meeting ending in tragedy.