APD arrests man for triple homicide

ALBUQUERQUE – APD Homicide detectives arrested a man who admitted he fatally shot three people early Thursday during a dispute.

Thomas Clark, Jr., is accused of killing Jonathan McGaughy, 31, Genea Oliver, 35, and Randy Lovett, 40, in an apartment parking lot located at 305 Rhode Island St., S.E.

APD officers were responding to a traffic crash in Southeast Albuquerque around 4:30 a.m. when they heard several gunshots nearby. APD’s ShotSpotter system also detected the gunshots and pinpointed them to the 300 block of Rhode Island St. Officers arrived and located a man and woman – later identified as McGaughy and Oliver – deceased next to a silver vehicle. A third shooting victim, later identified as Lovett, had been shot. He was transported to a local hospital where he died as a result of his wounds.

Officers learned about a man who fled the scene on foot and appeared to be hiding on the roof of a nearby building. Officers detained the man, later identified as Clark, who was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant. Homicide detectives later interviewed Clark, who admitted he shot the victims.

Clark, 32, told detectives he was in a car with McGaughy, who he knew as “Bones,” and two other people. Clark said all occupants of the car were armed with guns and he was afraid they wanted to kill him because of rumors that he had been stealing items.

Clark said McGaughy drove them to the apartment complex at 305 Rhode Island. He said a woman, later identified as Oliver, stood outside and mentioned she had a gun in a car parked next to them. Oliver is McGaughy’s sister and lived at the apartment complex. Clark also said a man he only knew as “White Boy,” later identified as Lovett, stood on the driver’s side of the car and was leaning in and talking to McGaughy who was holding a handgun.

Clark told detectives he “snuck” a handgun into his wasteband while he was in the car. Clark said he was panicking because he thought he was going to be shot. He manipulated his handgun and it eventually went off, striking McGaughy. He said he fired two times through the back passenger window, striking Oliver as she stood outside of the car. He jumped into the front of the vehicle and crawled out of the driver’s side door. He said he saw McGaughy sitting on the pavement outside of the car, reaching for his gun. Clark said he shot McGaughy again in a panic mode.

Clark said he dropped his gun after firing all of the ammunition and picked up McGaughy’s gun and ran across the street. He said someone was shooting at him. He climbed stairs to a second floor and fired several rounds toward the shots being fired at him.

Clark said Lovett was leaning into the open window of the car when Clark shot McGaughy. When detectives if it was possibly that he shot Lovett, he said maybe. Lovett was shot in the head.

Detectives recovered two handguns at the scene near the car and a third handgun across the street where Clark said he believed he dropped it.

Clark is being booked into the Metro Detention Center on three open counts of murder in the first degree, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, and tampering with evidence.

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