Four Dead in Triple Murder-Suicide, APD Gives Update

Albuquerque –

The Albuquerque Police Department held a press conference today at 2 PM to provide an update on the fatal mass murder that happened just before midnight on August 31.

ABQ RAW was the first and only media to report as this situation was unfolding. APD officers responded to a shooting on the 1800 block of Indian School Road NW, near the Valley Apartments. Upon their arrival, APD officers found four people dead from gunshot wounds in and near a car in the apartment complex.

According to APD Commander Kyle Hartsock, an investigation revealed that the incident was a triple murder followed by a suicide, leaving four people dead. All the individuals involved were known to each other, as confirmed by witness accounts to APD detectives.

The primary suspect, is allegedly a man in his early twenties. The victims included a man in his fifties, his son in his mid-twenties, and the son’s girlfriend, also in her mid-twenties. Following the murders, the suspect purportedly committed suicide.

The shooting took place within a vehicle parked in the parking lot of the Valley Apartments. Last night, witnesses reported to ABQ RAW that some of the individuals involved had been consuming alcohol at the apartment complex through the day, a detail confirmed by APD today. A confrontation escalated later that evening, resulting in the suspect fatally shooting the three victims.

According to APD, a man who fled the scene after the shooting was briefly detained by police. However, upon further investigation, he was determined to be uninvolved and released from custody.

Increase of Murder-Suicides in the ABQ Metro for 2024

There have been six murder-suicides in Albuquerque in 2024, including three in the month of August alone. The following are the other two murder-suicides that occurred in August.

On August 4th, APD officers from the Southeast Area Command responded to a call on Pennsylvania Street S.E., where they found three people unresponsive inside a home. Police pronounced all three dead at the scene and immediately launched a homicide investigation. On August 5, 2024, APD informed the public that they were investigating this incident as a double murder-suicide. A 22-year-old man is believed to have killed his 20-year-old sister and 17-year-old brother before committing suicide.

The Albuquerque Police Department investigated three shooting deaths on 923 Alvarado Dr SE. Officers arrived just before 1:00 PM on August 18th, to find three adults dead from gunshot wounds. Detectives suspect that the offender committed a double murder before taking their own life. They are currently identifying the victims and notifying their families.