New details on Bernalillo shooting: Suspect faces 13 felony charges, had gun that was stolen from Albuquerque police
A 57-year-old Albuquerque man faces 13 felony charges after allegedly shooting at a truck and then at officers in a standoff near Bernalillo High School.
Authorities have identified the man accused of firing shots near Bernalillo High School Tuesday morning, prompting a townwide lockdown during the height of the morning commute. Police say a 57-year-old Albuquerque man, who the Sandoval Signpost is not naming per policy, shot at three people sitting inside a truck near the Rail Runner Park and Ride just before 5 a.m. No one was injured, though the truck was struck and a window shattered.
The shooting set off a large law enforcement response and brought much of Bernalillo to a standstill for hours. Bernalillo police, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police and the Rio Rancho Police Department’s Tactical Team all responded. The New Mexico Rail Runner Express halted all service through the area, affecting approximately 200 passengers who were bused around the closure. Bernalillo Public Schools closed all campuses for the day, citing police activity near the high school and transportation restrictions that prevented buses from leaving the lot.
New details from court documents filed this week paint a fuller picture of the incident. According to a probable cause statement filed by NMSP, the suspect had been at the Rail Runner station since around midnight. Surveillance footage captured him approaching a parked vehicle at approximately 4:48 a.m. and firing multiple rounds at it. When officers located him on foot north of the station, he fled into an open field and fired repeatedly at pursuing officers, who returned fire. The suspect continued moving northbound toward Bernalillo High School before officers established a perimeter and withdrew. He was taken into custody around 7:15 a.m. after a resident on Leyba Lane reported a man knocking at their door. No officers were struck.
Officers found two firearms on the suspect at the time of his arrest — including a handgun later confirmed stolen by Albuquerque police — along with loose ammunition matching casings recovered from both shooting scenes, the probable cause statement says.
APD Director of Communications Gilbert Gallegos said the firearm was stolen during an auto burglary in August and the victim made an online report with APD.
The suspect faces 13 felony charges, including five counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, and receiving stolen property.