Albuquerque teen sentenced in deadly 2020 apartment shooting

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – An Albuquerque teenager pleaded guilty to murder two years after he pulled the trigger and shot five people at a southeast Albuquerque apartment complex. 

Victims addressed a judge Monday during the sentencing for 17-year-old Adam Herrera.

“He just pulled it out of his waist, and started blasting at us,” said a victim. 

In August, Herrera pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree murder related to a 2020 shooting. That plea came as part of a plea deal where other charges in the case were dropped.

This started with a fight at apartments in southeast Albuquerque. During that fight Herrera pulled out a gun and started shooting. One of the victims hit was a 17-year-old girl who addressed the court Monday.  

“I’m never feeling the same, every time I wake up, I wake up, and I see all my scars, all my bullets,” she said.

She was pregnant at the time. An emergency C-section was performed in an attempt to save her baby. He lived for only 30 minutes before dying from his injuries. His now 20-year-old mom says she’ll never recover and will never be able to be a parent.

“Because he shot me, and where he shot me they had to remove my uterus. Not only did he just kill my baby, but he made sure that I would never be able to have a kid ever again,” she said. 

Prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence allowed under his plea agreement, 18 years. 

“Because he is a juvenile, and there is consideration the state law provides for juveniles we did agree to limit the term he would have to serve short of life,” said the prosecutor. 

In his defense, the judge heard from a former employer of Herrera’s mother.

“He was doing really good, he was a good kid. He had really good grades when he was small,” the former employer said.

They said Herrera had a tough childhood and had fallen in with the wrong crowd. But they claimed he was remorseful. 

They asked for an eight-year sentence which was higher than the minimum of five years. 

“Your honor Adam does need some help. Adam does need some rehabilitation, as part of the sentence he will be getting that,” said the defense attorney.

Herrera himself did not speak in the hearing. 

Judge: “Mr. Herrera do you wish to address the court or any one of the victims for sentencing? 

Herrera: “No Ma’am.”

In the end, the judge handed down the maximum. 

“You injured five people with a horrendous decision at 15 years old, with a firearm, and a loss of life. So I cannot give you eight years or anything under 18 years, at this point,” the judge said. 

After he gets out, Herrera will serve five years on parole and five years of supervised probation.

If he doesn’t follow the conditions of his release, he could go back to prison for life.