Randy Lovett

Randy Lovett, a 40-year-old White man, was one of three people killed in a shooting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on August 31, 2023. The other victims were identified as 31-year-old Jonathan McGaughy and 35-year-old Genea Oliver.

The incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 305 Rhode Island St., S.E. Albuquerque police officers were investigating a nearby traffic crash when they heard several gunshots. The department’s ShotSpotter system also detected the gunfire and helped guide officers to the scene. They arrived to find McGaughy and Oliver deceased next to a silver vehicle. Lovett had also been shot; he was transported to a local hospital, where he died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Witnesses reported seeing a man flee the scene on foot. Police located Thomas Clark Jr., age 32, hiding on the roof of a nearby building and detained him. He was initially arrested on an outstanding felony warrant. During a subsequent interview with homicide detectives, Clark admitted to shooting all three victims.

According to Clark’s statement, he was in a car with McGaughy and two others when they drove to the apartment complex. Clark claimed he was afraid the others, who were all armed, planned to kill him because of rumors that he had been stealing items. He said he "snuck" a handgun into his waistband and, feeling panicked, began shooting. He stated he shot McGaughy first, then fired through a window and struck Oliver, who was McGaughy's sister and was standing outside the car. Clark told detectives that Lovett had been leaning into the car's open window during the altercation and admitted that he might have shot him as well.

Thomas Clark Jr. was arrested and charged with three open counts of first-degree murder, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, and tampering with evidence. He pleaded not guilty, and his trial began in late April 2025. Prosecutors argued that Clark had acted on irrational paranoia, while his defense attorneys claimed he fired in self-defense because the victims were conspiring to kill him.

After an eight-day trial, a jury deliberated for less than an hour. On April 30, 2025, the jury found Thomas Clark Jr. guilty of three counts of second-degree murder. He faces a potential sentence of up to 60 years in prison.