ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Police say they arrested 17-year-old Nathaniel Martinez for shooting a security guard Friday afternoon at Coronado Mall.

Albuquerque police received a report of a shooting incident just before 1 p.m. Friday at or near the Fuddruckers restaurant there. An initial investigation found it all started when employees called mall security about a teen sleeping inside the restaurant.

When security arrived, they woke the teen up and escorted him outside where an argument ensued. Then, police say the teen backed away, turned toward the mall and fired three gunshots at one of the guards before running away.

Officers arrived, obtained a description of the suspect and found him at a nearby bus stop. They followed the suspect across Louisiana Boulevard and apprehended him behind a building.

Police identified the suspect as a 17-year-old male. Officers say they saw him throw a gun under a car before he was apprehended. They say they recovered that gun.

Back at the mall, medics found the guard awake and alert. He is now being treated at a local hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the calf.

Police say they found some of the bullets hit the building.

This is the fourth shooting incident to happen on the Coronado Mall premises over the last year or so. The last three shootings, including Friday, all involved someone under age 18 with a gun:

• A 16-year-old was arrested in May for firing a single gunshot as he exited the food court. The incident happened March 30. No one was injured
• A 15-year-old was arrested two days after he allegedly fired a gunshot outside the property and then ran away. A photo showed him running through the mall with a gun in hand. No one was injured

APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos acknowledged this during his briefing on the Friday shooting.

“The one thing in common with every one of them is kids with a gun. Now we have that again,” Gallegos said. “It’s very concerning. Obviously the chief [Medina], the sheriff and the district attorney have been talking about this issue over and over and over again and that’s juveniles with guns. We’re seeing way too much of it.”

Gallegos said they’re exploring the idea of getting ShotSpotter technology at the mall, in addition to what they already have in the Uptown area. He also said juvenile crime would be a topic of concern during the governor’s town hall on public safety in Albuquerque, set to take place Monday.

Nathaniel Martinez faces the following charges, according to APD:

• Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon
• Two counts of Aggravated Assault
• Brandishing a Firearm
• Shooting at a Dwelling or Occupied Building
• Tampering with Evidence
• Unlawful Possession of a Firearm
• Resisting, Eluding, or Obstructing an Officer

Stay with KOB 4 Eyewitness News and KOB.com for updates.

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