1 Dead, 1 Wounded, in a Downtown Wild West Type Shootout Involving APD

Albuquerque –

Early this morning, the wafting of cigarette smoke and alcohol filled the air in Downtown Albuquerque earlier than normal. The downtown smells were soon mixed with the smell of gunpowder and violence after a wild west type incident that occurred just before midnight on July 3rd, 2026.

An officer-involved shooting occurred after Albuquerque Police Department officers responded to a shots fired call between two people near the intersection of Central and 3rd.

According to APD Police Chief Cecily Barker, one of the individuals was believed to be armed and fired shots towards officers so the officers responded accordingly and appropriately and returned fire and fired rounds towards the area. Chief Barker confirmed one person had died from police department bullets.

“It was a very chaotic scene, and we still are trying to talk to people who might have witnessed it. And we encourage you if you saw anything or if you have any video, to please get that to police officers,” said Chief Barker.

The Albuquerque Police Department typically has a beefed up presence in Downtown Albuquerque during the nightlife hours. A witness on scene showed us video of APD Mounted Patrol rushing to the scene of the shooting. It also showed the aftermath of the shooting with APD doing first aid to one of the wounded gunshot victims.

The Albuquerque Police Department has been involved in seven officer-involved shootings in 2026, five of which were fatal. Three of those shootings occurred within a one-week span, from May 24 to May 29. Two of the three incidents were fatal. Another officer-involved shooting occurred on June 2, 2026, in the 4400 block of Osuna Road. That incident was not fatal.