ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Albuquerque police say a 10-year-old boy shot and killed a 17-year-old girl during a fight outside an apartment complex in northeast Albuquerque Saturday evening.

Officers were called shortly after 6 p.m. to reports of a disturbance and shooting near Tennessee Street. Police said several people were arguing outside the complex when the confrontation turned physical.

During the fight, police said the boy tried to pull his mother away but was unable to stop what was happening. He then went into an apartment, came back with a handgun and fired one shot, striking the teen. Police said the girl died at the scene.

Police say the child returned with a handgun during the fight

Investigators said the sequence began with a group argument that escalated into a physical confrontation outside the apartment complex. The 10-year-old was present during the struggle and tried to separate his mother from the fight, according to police.

Police said that effort failed, and the boy went back inside an apartment before returning with a handgun. One round was fired, and the 17-year-old girl was struck and killed where she fell.

Authorities have not publicly identified the girl or released additional details about how the weapon was stored or how the child obtained it. The shooting remains under investigation by homicide detectives.

Mother took the boy inside and called police after the shooting

After the shooting, police said the boy’s mother took him into a nearby apartment and called authorities. That call brought officers to the scene while the situation was still unfolding inside the complex.

As officers arrived, police said they heard one gunshot from inside the mother’s apartment. Officers moved to cover while several people came out of the residence.

The mother then exited with a handgun, according to police. She dropped the weapon and surrendered to officers. Police have not said what led to the shot heard inside the apartment, and no additional injuries were reported in the apartment during that response.

Officer fired once after seeing the armed mother, police say

Police said one officer fired his handgun after the mother came out armed. Authorities said that shot did not strike anyone.

No one was injured by the officer’s gunfire, according to police. The department said the moment happened as officers were responding to a chaotic scene with multiple people leaving the apartment.

The multi-agency task force is now investigating the officer’s use of force. That review is separate from the homicide investigation into the teenager’s death and is intended to examine the circumstances surrounding the shot fired by police.

Two investigations are now moving forward

Albuquerque police homicide detectives are handling the investigation into the 17-year-old’s death. Their work will focus on the shooting outside the apartment complex and the events that led to the girl being hit.

At the same time, the Multi-Agency Task Force is reviewing the officer’s gunfire. Police said the parallel investigations reflect the different parts of the incident: the teen’s killing, the actions inside the apartment, and the police response outside.

Authorities have not said whether any charges have been filed. They also have not released information about the relationship between the people involved, beyond describing the fight as involving several people outside the complex.

Northeast Albuquerque scene leaves unanswered questions

The shooting took place near Tennessee Street in northeast Albuquerque, an area now tied to a case involving an extremely young suspect and a fatal shooting. Police have described the event as beginning with an argument and ending with a death, a police response, and a separate review of officer gunfire.

With the teen dead and the boy’s mother surrendering to officers, investigators are still piecing together how the confrontation escalated so quickly. Police have not publicly explained who started the fight or how the handgun came into the child’s hands.

For now, the case stands as an active homicide investigation with a second inquiry running alongside it, both centered on the same apartment complex scene Saturday evening.