Chief Brendan Cox said Iris Vazquez had no role in the earlier violence that authorities believe led to the deadly dispute.
ALBANY, N.Y. — A woman fatally shot inside a vehicle was not involved in the 2025 killing at the center of an ongoing personal feud, Albany’s police chief said after officers arrested the slain teenager’s father.
Police charged Vance Mims Jr., 44, with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in the death of Iris Vazquez, 39. Officers found Vazquez on Washington Avenue near Sprague Place at about 1:25 p.m. Sunday, July 5.
Police Chief Brendan Cox said investigators believe the latest killing was tied to tensions that followed the death of Mims’ 17-year-old son, Vance Mims III. The teenager was shot after the Fourth of July fireworks at Empire State Plaza in 2025 and died nearly two weeks later.
“While the homicide involving Vance Mims Sr. and Iris Vazquez has a nexus to last year’s incident, Ms. Vazquez was not involved in that incident,” Cox said at a Friday news conference with Albany County District Attorney Lee Kindlon.
Cox described the new case as the result of an interpersonal dispute that continued after the teenager’s shooting. Police and prosecutors did not explain how Vazquez knew Mims or others connected to the earlier case, and they declined to release more details about the alleged motive.
The chief called Vazquez’s killing a tragic and senseless act. He said adults must seek nonviolent ways to resolve conflicts, particularly when disagreements grow from earlier acts of violence.
“Cycles need to be broken and our adults need to show our teens and children the right pathway,” Cox said.
The younger Mims had attended the fireworks celebration on July 4, 2025, with family and friends. Police said gunfire broke out during a confrontation near Madison Avenue after the event. The teen, whom authorities described as an unintended victim, was struck in the head.
The same period of violence included the firing of a flare gun that set two buildings ablaze. Several people were hurt in the shooting near Madison Avenue, and 10 people were shot in multiple incidents across the city over the holiday period.
Authorities have charged three people in connection with the events surrounding the teen’s death. A teenager accused of firing the shot faces second-degree murder and other charges. Another teenager pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted assault in the flare-gun case. Savion Wimberly, 24, was later indicted on second-degree murder and other counts after prosecutors alleged he played a leading role in the confrontation. The pending charges have not been proven in court.
Police arrested the elder Mims on Thursday at a residence in Voorheesville with help from the U.S. Marshals Service. Officers executed a search warrant at the property, though authorities have not disclosed what, if anything, was seized.
Glenda Barrett, 43, the mother of Vance Mims III, was arrested the same day and charged with first-degree hindering prosecution. Police have not publicly detailed the actions she is accused of taking. Barrett was released under court-ordered conditions after her arraignment.
Mims was arraigned in Albany City Court and ordered held without bail at the Albany County Jail. Both defendants are due back in court Wednesday, and each is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.
Author note: Last updated July 11, 2026.