Criminal Justice & Public Safety
State Rep. Javier Martinez addresses the media prior to being named Speaker of the House on Jan. 17, 2023.

Speaker Martinez comments on shooting of his house

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Speaker of the House Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, opened up about the recent shootings of houses owned by Democratic politicians in Albuquerque, including his own. Martinez held a press briefing prior to the opening of the legislative session on Tuesday. “It’s long overdue, that we lower the temperature,” Martinez said. “These are the things that can happen when rhetoric gets out of hand. I am incredibly grateful to the Albuquerque Police Department, to (Albuquerque) Mayor (Tim) Keller and to all of those who played a role in protecting our safety and ensuring that our democracy remains intact.”

Martinez expressed alarm that the shootings occurred.

Criminal Justice & Public Safety

Suspect in custody in shootings of Democrats’ properties

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Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina announced Monday afternoon that a suspect is in custody regarding the recent shootings of Democrats’ homes and offices. 

“We do have a firearm in our possession that is linked to one of the shootings,” Medina said. “We are not going to get into details as this is still an active investigation.”

Medina declined to release the name of the person of interest, citing the investigation. The only information APD released about the person is that he is a male who is currently in custody on an unrelated charge. Law enforcement also have a firearm that may be connected to the shootings. “We never want this to happen,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said.

Quick Reads

Proposed HUD rule worries some over potential shelter discrimination for transgender community

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U.S. Housing and Urban Development proposed a rule that critics say would enable shelters to discriminate against transgender people and lawfully turn people away who need a place to sleep for the night. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed the rule in early July and allowed for a 60-day comment period. The rule, if promulgated, would affect shelters that receive federal funds and are single sex dormitories or segregate into single sex areas. Under the proposed rule, shelter providers can turn people away if their gender identity doesn’t match the gender they were classified as at birth. Albuquerque’s West Side Shelter receives federal funding and has single-sex areas.