Suspect Fires Gun in Hotel Near Airport, APD Has Tense Standoff

Albuquerque –

Just before 8:40 PM on Wednesday October 1st, 2025, a tense situation unfolded at the TownePlace Suites at 2400 Centre Ave SE, located at Yale Blvd SE and Centre Ave SE. Officers with the Albuquerque Police Department were dispatched after hotel staff reported that a male subject had discharged a firearm inside the hotel. 

A criminal complaint identified the man as 39-year-old Damien Valdez of Las Vegas, New Mexico. 

An employee advised that the individual was seen firing a weapon through at least one interior wall from within the room. There were immediate concerns that the projectile had traveled through the room and potentially into adjacent rooms. 

Security personnel also reported hearing moaning sounds coming from from rooms near where the gunfire was reported. A guest of a room next to Valdez reportedly fled to the lobby after a projectile breached their room wall.

Police evacuated the rooms adjacent to room 103, where Valdez was located, as well as the rooms directly above it. Due to exigent circumstances, officers entered room 107 to check for injured persons. The room was unoccupied. Multiple projectile impacts were observed, originating from the north side of the room toward room 103 and from the ceiling and south wall toward room 109.

The situation became extremely chaotic at times as the Valdez’s family attempted to communicate with him through the phone, trying to convince him to surrender to the police. Police officers also were communicating with Valdez. 

Around 10:45 PM, Valdez agreed to surrender to the police in a peaceful manner. He was taken into custody and told officers he did not remember how many gunshots he fired. APD discovered that he had fired at least four rounds into the ceiling, in addition to the round that penetrated the wall of a room next to Valdez’s. No one was injured by the negligent discharge of the firearm.

Valdez was charged with felon in possession of firearm, shooting at dwelling/occupied building, and negligent use of a deadly weapon. He was booked into MDC.