Mother Sentenced After 2-Year-Old Fatally Shot Himself With Unsecured Gun

Albuquerque –

On Wednesday, July 8, a judge sentenced Amillia Garcia, 21, to 10 years in the New Mexico Corrections Department in connection with the 2025 shooting death of her 2-year-old son.

The shooting occurred in April 2025 at an apartment in Southeast Albuquerque after Garcia’s son, Leon, accessed a loaded handgun with an extended magazine that had been left on a living room couch. The child allegedly shot himself and died at the scene.

Court records indicated that Garcia also had her 1-year-old with her at the apartment at the time of the shooting. The child was not injured.

In March, Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of abandonment of a child resulting in death with a firearm enhancement and one count of tampering with evidence.

Investigators determined that three other adults were inside the apartment when the shooting occurred. After the child was shot, two of the adults removed the firearm from the apartment before police arrived. They were prosecuted for their roles in the case.

The investigation was conducted by detectives with the Albuquerque Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit in coordination with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office.