Michael Tenorio, 52, was shot and killed during a dispute over reserved seats at the Century Rio 24 movie theater in Albuquerque on the evening of June 25, 2023. Tenorio and his wife, Trina, were attending a showing when an argument with another couple escalated after the other man, identified as 19-year-old Enrique Padilla, threw a bucket of popcorn. Tenorio stood and pushed Padilla, who then produced a handgun and fired multiple shots. Tenorio was struck and collapsed; an off-duty officer attempted life-saving measures but Tenorio died at the scene.

Padilla fled on foot but was found hiding near an emergency exit with a gunshot wound to his abdomen and was taken to a hospital before being arrested. Investigators recovered a handgun believed to be the weapon; reports say it had been modified to fire rapidly and Tenorio’s wife recalled seeing a green laser beam from the weapon before the shooting. Padilla was charged with murder, shooting at an occupied building, and tampering with evidence.

If anyone witnessed the confrontation inside the theater or has information about what happened that night, please come forward.