In the early morning hours of November 18, 2021, 30-year-old Brandi Rael was found shot to death inside her white Toyota Corolla in the parking lot of the Copper Ridge Apartments on Tramway Blvd. N.E. in Albuquerque. Officers initially responded to reports of gunfire and later located Rael deceased at about 7:40 AM. She was a mother of two young children, and her death was recorded as Albuquerque’s 101st homicide of the year.

Investigators identified 29-year-old Michael Kelly, Rael’s ex-boyfriend, as the primary suspect after surveillance footage from a nearby property reportedly showed him entering the passenger side of her vehicle, exiting, interacting with Rael from outside the car, and then firing multiple shots into the vehicle. Neighbors said they heard screams around the time of the gunfire. Detectives also reported prior domestic disputes between the couple and said fentanyl pills were found in Rael’s car and in the apartment where Kelly had been staying; some reports linked the incident to a dispute over drugs and money.

Was anyone in the neighborhood that morning able to add details about what they saw or heard?