ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It was a fun night of fireworks and family time until bullets started flying in an Albuquerque neighborhood. People living nearby say the shooting caused chaos as hundreds of young people fled the area. They’re still on edge tonight because police are still searching for the shooter.
On July 4th neighbors in a southwest Albuquerque neighborhood say they saw cars lined up and down the street for a house party near Alexis and 86th street. One neighbor explains, “Like hundreds of people just walking down the street.”
Neighbors say they had a feeling something bad was going to happen with so many people partying. They say they heard fireworks going off but then things took a violent turn. “I also heard gunshots and they were really close to my house and so I freaked out and I came and opened my door and I Looked out and I saw everybody running, they were all screaming, running like freaking out running to their cars.”
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Someone started shooting and according to the police, three women were hit by bullets. “I walked down my driveway a little bit, I asked what happened and a young woman approached me she had a gunshot wound on her chest and she asked me please help me, help me, please I’ve been shot.”
The neighbor quickly called for help. The street turned into chaos as people tried to flee the area. “It was really just like really crazy, everybody was running, getting into cars, driving off by the time the cops even got here everybody that was here already left.”
Police later identified one of the victims – as 20-year-old Aaliyah Vigil who died from her injuries. Police have not given an update on the conditions of the two other victims. “There were a lot of younger kids, like definitely teenagers, not many above 20…a lot of, a lot of young kids.”
Police are still searching for the shooter. People say it’s sad to see so much violence in their city. “There’s a lot of kids with guns. It’s sad they shouldn’t be having those. Teenagers, they haven’t even started life and they’re getting shot and killed.”
Police describe the shooter as a Hispanic man in his late twenties with a short haircut. They say he was driving a dark green widebody Dodge Challenger at the time of the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact crime stoppers at 505-842-STOP. Anyone with video related to the shooting can upload it directly to APD’s police link.