The shooting followed a dispute over loud music, while prosecutors are reviewing how to handle a case involving such a young suspect.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 10-year-old boy is suspected of fatally shooting a 17-year-old girl during a neighborhood fight Saturday after a dispute over loud music escalated near Tennessee Street and Copper Avenue NE, Albuquerque police said.
The teenager’s death has opened two investigations and left authorities facing unusual questions about how to handle a homicide suspect who is only 10. Police said the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office is being consulted about what charges, if any, may apply to the child, while investigators are also examining the actions of his mother and how the boy obtained the firearm.
Police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said officers were called to the area around 4 p.m. Oct. 31 after reports of a shooting. Investigators said a dispute between neighbors over loud music had developed into a physical fight involving several people.
Police said two women began fighting as the 10-year-old boy and the 17-year-old tried to intervene. Investigators allege the boy then went inside a residence, obtained a firearm and returned outside. Police said he fired one shot, striking the teenager. She died at the scene.
Authorities have not publicly identified the teenager or the boy. Police also have not said how the child gained access to the firearm or whether an adult knew he had taken it. Investigators have said those circumstances remain part of the inquiry.
The situation remained volatile when officers arrived. Police said officers heard gunfire and the boy’s mother came out of an apartment carrying a handgun. An Albuquerque police officer fired at her but missed, according to police, and she surrendered. No officers were injured.
Police said the woman is expected to face charges, but authorities had not announced the specific allegations as of Sunday. Investigators were also working to determine whether the firearm she carried was the same gun police say the boy used to shoot the teenager.
The boy and his mother were among those detained after the incident. Police said they were consulting prosecutors because of the boy’s age and the limits on how such a young child can be handled within the juvenile justice system. Officials had not announced a final decision about whether he would be formally charged or where he would remain while the investigation continued.
Homicide detectives are investigating the teenager’s death. A separate Multi-Agency Task Force investigation is examining the Albuquerque officer’s decision to fire at the armed woman. Police have not released the officer’s identity or announced findings from that review.
Authorities said the investigation remains active, with major questions still unresolved about firearm access, possible charges and the sequence of events immediately before the fatal shot. The district attorney’s office and police had not announced final charging decisions by Sunday.
Author note: Last updated November 1, 2026.