ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Police said a 17-year-old who hid a loaded gun in his pants in downtown Albuquerque admitted to taking the gun from his father.
Police said a bullet was already in the chamber. The teen is now facing multiple charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm and carrying a deadly weapon.
“We also want parents to really pay attention. As I said, this 17-year-old said he took a firearm from his father and knew he was not supposed to. So that could be charged as well,” Gallegos said.
Gallegos said since June 13, officers have recovered 15 guns from 10 teens in downtown Albuquerque, including three rifles. He said the department wants consequences before these cases turn violent.
“I think a lot of these kids just feel like there’s no consequences and they can do whatever they want. But regardless of that, our officers are going to look for them and find them and arrest them as much as they can. We want to charge as much as we can if they’re bringing guns,” Gallegos said.
APD said weekend nights downtown already include extra officers, drones, surveillance cameras and in some cases a helicopter.
The department said it is also working with federal partners, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to explore more federal gun charges for offenders.
“Unfortunately, we just didn’t get a lot of follow-through on that aspect,” Gallegos said. “And we have tried to meet and talk with the new U.S. Attorney about that. But that is something we could be charging a lot more.”
Gallegos said federal partnerships matter, but he believes stronger state laws could also help address teen gun crime.
APD said one reason for the strict enforcement is that downtown has bars, restaurants and large weekend crowds. The department said keeping guns out of downtown also depends on parents and the community helping keep guns out of the hands of teens.
