On January 27, 2021, two women were killed in a shooting at Aztec Village Apartments, 4321 Montgomery Blvd NE in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights. Victims were Aerial Mallam, 21, and Jessica Casaus Lucero, 31. A third person, Stephen Mitchell, was shot three times while fleeing and survived.

Police identified 16-year-old Josef Toney as the person who arrived at the complex that night and allegedly shot Mallam and Lucero, who died at the scene. Reports say Toney also shot Mitchell, exchanged gunfire with another person during an attempted vehicle theft, was shot himself, and fled on foot, triggering a manhunt.

Toney was later arrested in Denver and charged in Bernalillo County with two counts of open murder, armed robbery, two counts of aggravated battery, child abuse and tampering with evidence, with additional charges filed in Denver. What details about motive or the sequence of events at the apartment remain unclear; anyone with information about that night or the victims is asked to come forward.