ALBUQUERQUE, NM — A woman is facing murder charges after police say her 10-year-old son fatally shot a 16-year-old girl during a dispute outside an apartment complex in northeast Albuquerque. Investigators say the confrontation began over loud music and turned physical before the child fired one round.

Albuquerque police said officers were called to the 200 block of Tennessee Street Northeast on Saturday at about 4 p.m. The girl was found dead at the scene. Police also said an officer fired a weapon when a woman later identified as 40-year-old Elaina Gomez-Villeda came out of the apartment armed, though no one was struck.

Police say the confrontation began with a complaint about loud music

Albuquerque Police Chief Cecily Barker said the incident started when neighbors approached the apartment to ask that the music be turned down. The dispute involved people who lived next door to one another, and police described it as a neighbor conflict that escalated quickly.

According to court records cited by police, Susana and Keinerlein Rangel were inside their apartment unpacking and listening to music when Gomez-Villeda came to the door. She allegedly asked them to lower the volume, but Susana Rangel refused. Gomez-Villeda then returned to her apartment before the argument resumed outside.

Barker said the confrontation became physical after Gomez-Villeda went back outside to confront the two women again. Court records say she allegedly struck both Susana and Keinerlein Rangel during the fight, setting the stage for the deadly shooting that followed.

Investigators say the 10-year-old came out with a firearm and fired once

Police said the 10-year-old tried to intervene during the fight involving his mother. Barker said the boy first came outside to get his mother out of the argument, then went back into the apartment before returning with a gun.

According to police, the child fired one round and struck the 16-year-old, who died at the scene. Officers did not immediately identify how the teen was connected to the dispute, but police said the shooting happened outside the apartment complex during the struggle.

After the gunfire, police said Gomez-Villeda took the boy back inside the apartment and called 911. Barker said the child’s age creates unusual complications for investigators and for the justice system, given that detention facilities do not accept 10-year-olds.

Officer fires after woman emerges from apartment with a gun

When officers arrived, they heard another gunshot from inside the apartment, according to police. Barker said Gomez-Villeda then came out holding a firearm, prompting at least one officer to fire his weapon. No one was hit during that exchange.

Police said Gomez-Villeda dropped the gun and surrendered. A separate multi-agency task force is now investigating the officer’s gunfire, while Albuquerque police continue to investigate the girl’s death itself.

Barker said video and witness accounts showed a woman approaching the door with a firearm and at least one officer discharging a round. The department has not said whether the inside gunshot heard by officers was fired by the child or someone else in the apartment.

Charges include murder, child abuse and negligent firearm storage

Gomez-Villeda has been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, negligently making a firearm accessible to a minor, battery and receiving stolen property. She is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center.

The charges reflect investigators’ view that the case involved both the fatal shooting and the circumstances that allowed a young child to access a gun during a volatile dispute. Police have said the weapon was fired after the argument turned into a fight outside the apartment building.

Court records and police statements indicate the confrontation unfolded in a matter of minutes, moving from a noise complaint to a physical altercation, then to the deadly shooting and the police response. Authorities have not said what relationship, if any, the 16-year-old had to the two women involved in the dispute.

The boy’s age creates a difficult next step for investigators

Barker said the case presents unusual challenges because the suspected shooter is only 10 years old. She noted that the detention center does not house children that young, and police will have to determine what happens next as the investigation continues.

The department has not publicly said whether the boy is being held, released to family, or referred to another agency. Barker said updates will be provided as investigators work through the case and assess the juvenile’s status.

For now, the case remains split between two tracks: the homicide investigation into the teen’s death and the separate review of the officer’s use of force. Police have emphasized that both inquiries are still active.