APD identifies, charges 14-year-old for mall shooting
ALBUQUERQUE – APD detective identified and charged a 14-year-old for Friday’s shooting at Coronado Mall. Nobody was injured in the shooting. Police are working to arrest Montoya on his charges.
Shortly after the shooting at 3:51 p.m. on Friday, officers detained a juvenile who was involved in a fight with suspect. The juvenile said he used to be friends with the suspect, but they have been in an on-going dispute over social media. He admitted to running up to the suspect at the mall and punching him.
The juvenile said the suspect produced a silver handgun and started chasing him and another individual. The first juvenile fell during the chase, and he said the suspect continued to run after the second individual. The suspect decided to exit the mall, and can be seen in surveillance video with the gun partially in his waistband. He motions for the second individual to come toward him.
According to surveillance video and eyewitnesses, including an off-duty Bernalillo County Sheriff’s lieutenant, the suspect first walks away from the mall entrance, but then turns back toward an open door. A gunshot could be heard at that point, causing shoppers and workers inside the mall to panic.
Additional video surveillance shows the suspect manipulating the handgun once he was outside the mall. That video shows him turning back toward the mall, abruptly raising the handgun and firing a round. He immediately turned and ran away toward Menaul Blvd. One bullet casing was located near where the suspect fired the handgun. An impact was later discovered above the entrance to the mall near the Coronado sign. Investigators determined that is where the bullet struck the building.
A gun matching the firearm used by the suspect was discovered this evening near the mall and turned over to police.
A warrant was approved by the Children’s Court that charges the 14-year-old suspect with Shooting at an Occupied Building, Disorderly Conduct, Unlawful Possession of a Handgun by a Person, Unlawful Carrying of a Deadly Weapon (concealed loaded firearm), and Criminal Damage to Property.
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