A dispute between a driver and a pedestrian turned deadly Tuesday afternoon after a male victim was shot with a small caliber handgun while inside the Mail Boxes Etc., 2132A Central Ave. SE, directly across from campus.
The man died while being transported to University Hospital, said Albuquerque Police Department Det. Jeff Arbogast.
Police said the men had an altercation after the victim left his vehicle and followed the suspect inside the business, but officials were unable to comment on the nature of the argument.
"Preliminary reports reveal that the suspect was a pedestrian crossing the intersection of Yale and Central and the victim of the homicide was a motorist," Arbogast said.
Police have a male suspect in custody who they arrested in the Mail Boxes Etc. shortly after they arrived, Arbogast said.
"Officers entered the business, he was pointed out to them and officers arrested him," he said.
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Arbogast added that police could not release the name of the suspect or the victim because they are verifying identities of the two men and police still need to notify the victim's next of kin.
Louie Chapman, 30, was eating lunch at Ho Ho restaurant, 2132B Central Ave. SE, at the time of the shooting. Chapman said he finished his lunch and when he walked outside he saw the victim beside a bike rack outside of Mail Boxes Etc. with a gunshot wound. Chapman said he dropped his backpack, went to the man and then yelled for someone to call 911.
"It's kind of hard to think about," he said.
Chapman added that the man was bleeding profusely from his mouth while slumped on the ground and when he tried to help the victim by offering him something to drink, he fully collapsed.
"He didn't respond [after that,]" Chapman said.
Chapman said he thought the suspect was between 50 and 55-years-old and that the victim appeared to be in his early 40s.
"His last words were 'I'm sorry God,'" Chapman said. He added that the victim was shot in his lower back on his side.
The shooting took place at about 12:30 p.m.
An exchange started between the two men after the victim followed the suspect inside the Mail Boxes Etc. and shooting started a short time later inside the store, Arbogast said.
He added that the suspect may have had a mailbox inside the store, but he wasn't certain.
Detectives are still trying to determine why the suspect may have shot the victim and what the altercation inside Mail Boxes Etc. was about.
The police investigation is still ongoing and Arbogast said he could not comment on the total number of shots fired or the exact number of gunshot wounds the victim suffered, but he did say the victim was shot multiple times.
Arbogast said an autopsy will be conducted by the state's Office of the Medical Investigator, located on the UNM north campus, before police can say the exact cause of death for the victim.
