A 10-year-old boy fatally shot 16-year-old Keinerlein Rangel during a confrontation between neighbors over loud music at an apartment complex in Albuquerque, New Mexico, police say. The boy’s mother, 40-year-old Elaina Gomez-Villeda, is facing several charges, including murder.
According to Albuquerque police and court records cited by local media, Gomez-Villeda had asked Rangel and her mother, Susana, to turn down music they were playing while unpacking. After Susana refused, Gomez-Villeda confronted the pair outside their home, where a physical altercation followed.
Police say Gomez-Villeda’s son tried to intervene and she allegedly told him to get a gun from their apartment. The boy returned and fired one shot, killing Rangel. Gomez-Villeda and her son then went inside, authorities said.
Police Chief Cecily Barker described the incident as a neighbor dispute that escalated after residents went to ask for the music to be lowered. According to a report cited by KOAT-TV, Gomez-Villeda later told investigators she had texted her husband that she thought she was going to jail.
Gomez-Villeda also told detectives that she fired at a man identified as Rangel’s father after he allegedly tried to open her apartment door and broke a window, according to KRQE. She had called 911 following the shooting.
In addition to murder, Gomez-Villeda faces charges of conspiracy to commit felony child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, battery and receiving stolen property in connection with a firearm, according to detention center records cited by Us Weekly. Information about whether she has retained an attorney was not immediately available.
Authorities have not identified the boy because he has not been charged. Albuquerque police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said detectives are working with the District Attorney’s Office and state officials to determine whether any charges are appropriate given the child’s age.
Sources: Us Weekly.