APD: 4 arrested for shooting BB guns at homeless people, ACS responder

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A new video shows a group of teens recording themselves shooting people at random. 

The Albuquerque Police Department says they used BB guns in the shooting, but investigators are still taking this case seriously.

The victims included homeless people, and a city worker with the Community Safety Department.

The teens – ages 15 to 17 – are facing serious charges because of it. 

ACS Director Mariela Ruiz-Angel says the responder was out on a call at the time. 

“Unfortunately, in this situation with this team, they were definitely in a place where they got blindsided, it was an act of violence,” said Ruiz-Angel. 

She says responders train for these situations, but they’ve been rare. 

“I will say we’ve had probably, I can name on one hand, how many times a situation or a person has called out for APD support or paramedic support,” Ruiz-Angel said. 

She says the department also offers mental health services for employees. 

“We also hired a third party group called Soreness Solutions, who does mental health work with responders and other first responders across the state and the nation to help them work through some of the traumas that they experience,” said Ruiz-Angel.

APD says one other person was hit by the BB gun too. Officers found three BB guns inside an Albuquerque home. 

APD says officers tracked down the house, by tracking down the suspects’ car through the Real Time Crime Center. 

Ruiz-Angel says ACS is always looking at ways to keep responders safe. 

“I will tell you, although the police found these individuals, one of the conversations we have all the time is do we need to put some sort of video lapels in the car, right? That would have caught a license plate potentially, and would have been easier way to capture these individuals,” said Ruiz-Angel. 

APD says the suspects were arrested at a home in southwest Albuquerque. They should be before a judge sometime this week on charges of aggravated battery and conspiracy.

Police took all four suspects into custody, reportedly without incident.