ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Albuquerque police are investigating a fatal shooting outside the Oasis event center on the city’s West Side as a possible justifiable homicide. The shooting happened before 2 a.m. near 3700 Ellison Drive NW, and officers found a man suffering from gunshot wounds.
Police said the injuries later proved fatal. Detectives have identified the man as 20-year-old Le Roy Hernandez. The case remains under review as investigators work to sort out what led up to the gunfire and whether the shooting fits New Mexico’s standards for justified use of deadly force.
Investigators say the shooting followed a confrontation and vehicle departure
According to police, Hernandez entered the back seat of a vehicle as it was driving away from a confrontation outside the venue. Investigators say he was allegedly carrying an AK pistol at the time. A passenger in the front seat then shot Hernandez, police said.
The sequence is central to the investigation because it suggests the confrontation did not end when the vehicle began moving. Detectives are trying to determine exactly what happened in the moments before the shooting, who was involved, and whether the passenger’s actions were legally justified under the circumstances.
Police have not released additional details about the confrontation itself, including what started it or how many people were present. They also have not said whether anyone else was injured during the incident.
Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office is part of the review
After consulting with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Albuquerque police said detectives are treating the case as a possible justifiable homicide. That means the investigation is not only focused on identifying the facts of the shooting, but also on whether prosecutors believe the use of force may have been legally allowed.
The justifiable-homicide designation does not end the case. Instead, it signals that detectives are gathering evidence before deciding how to present the facts to prosecutors. Police have not said whether any arrests have been made or whether anyone faces charges.
The district attorney’s office has not publicly detailed its own assessment. For now, the shooting remains an active investigation tied to a deadly encounter outside a popular West Side event venue.
Oasis Event Center scene puts attention on West Side nightlife corridor
The shooting happened outside the Oasis event center at 3700 Ellison Drive NW, an area on Albuquerque’s West Side that draws late-night crowds for events and gatherings. Because the gunfire occurred before 2 a.m., investigators were dealing with a scene that developed during overnight hours when traffic and witness movement can complicate evidence collection.
Police did not say whether the event center itself was involved beyond being the location near the shooting. The focus, instead, has been on the confrontation outside the building and the vehicle that drove off with Hernandez inside before the fatal shot was fired.
The location remains important because it helps frame the timeline and may help investigators identify witnesses, cameras, or nearby vehicles that could have captured the incident.
Detectives are asking the public for photos and video
Albuquerque police are asking anyone who may have photos or videos connected to the shooting to share that material with investigators. Authorities say that type of evidence can help piece together a fast-moving incident when witness accounts alone may leave gaps.
Publicly submitted video can help confirm where people stood, when the vehicle moved, and what happened immediately after the confrontation. In a case with competing claims about self-defense and unlawful violence, images from bystanders or nearby cameras can be especially valuable.
Police did not specify how people should submit the evidence in the text they released, other than asking the public to provide anything relevant to detectives.
What police have said so far about Hernandez and the weapon
Investigators say Hernandez was 20 years old and allegedly had an AK pistol during the encounter. Police have not released further details about the weapon, including whether it was recovered or whether they believe it was fired.
The agency also has not said how many shots were fired or whether the passenger who fired the fatal shot remains part of the active investigation. Those unanswered questions are likely to matter as detectives and prosecutors review the evidence.
For now, the case is being handled as a possible justifiable homicide, with police continuing to examine the confrontation, the vehicle departure, and the circumstances that led to Hernandez’s death.