On the evening of July 28, 2025, 27-year-old Joshua Williams was shot and killed while taking a nightly walk through Rotary Park in Bernalillo, New Mexico, with his boyfriend, Chris. The couple had moved to the area about two weeks earlier. Williams was pronounced dead at the scene; his companion was shot twice but survived and was treated in the intensive care unit before stabilizing.

From his hospital bed the surviving victim described the shooter as a man about six feet tall with a slim build, wearing a purple shirt, blue jeans with a whitewashed front, and a black ski mask. The masked gunman fled on foot; the surviving victim also reported seeing a second person nearby holding a gas can. The family believes the attack was a premeditated hate crime, but investigators say they have no evidence of that and have asked the FBI to assist. No arrests had been announced as of late August 2025.

Joshua Williams worked as a nurse at Serenity Mesa, a facility for teens with addiction and other challenges, and is remembered by his family as kind and compassionate. Did anyone see activity in or around Rotary Park that evening or have surveillance that could help identify the shooter?