ESPANOLA, N.M. – A teenager killed in a shooting in New Mexico had recently appeared in a political ad for a gubernatorial candidate that highlights tenuous opportunities for youths in the state.

Democratic candidate for governor and Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham said Friday that 18-year-old Cameron Martinez was a “remarkable young man” and noted that he had just started a job at Los Alamos National Lab.

Martinez was one of four people found Thursday night with gunshot wounds in a vehicle near the Ohkay Hotel Casino, authorities said.

The other three people included a male and two females whose names and ages have not been released. They were expected to survive their injuries.

Martinez was from Espanola, just south of the site where state police say they found the vehicle.

Police have not said what might have prompted the shooting, and no arrests have been made.

The 30-second campaign ad shows him only from the back. It’s entitled “Two Paths” and aims to highlight the educational path of an apparently fictional New Mexico boy. At the end, it asks whether he will go to college or technical school, or face an uncertain future.

Martinez and his family had been supporters of Lujan Grisham, said James Hallinan, a campaign spokesman, explaining how the teen became a part of the commercial.

Lujan Grisham said her heart broke when she heard about the killing of Martinez.

“He was a remarkable young man who touched countless lives and who will not be forgotten,” she said in a statement.