Albuquerque Police Fatally Shoot Armed Man After Reported Gunfire Downtown

Albuquerque police fatally shot a 41-year-old man late on July 3 after hearing gunfire and running toward the scene Downtown, KOB 4 reports. The Albuquerque Police Department identified the man as Stephen Griego, who was taken to a local hospital and later died of his injuries. Griego had built a following on TikTok by live-streaming Albuquerque nightlife, according to KOB 4.

According to police, witnesses said Griego confronted another man near Central Avenue and Third Street shortly before the shooting. Videos circulating on social media appear to show a man slapping a man on a scooter, who then appears to pull out a gun and fire before being tackled, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

APD Chief Cecily Barker said extra officers were patrolling Downtown as part of the department’s Downtown Tactical Plan, KOB 4 reported. Police said several officers heard a gunshot at about 11:53 p.m. and ran toward it, where they saw two people in an altercation, one believed to be armed. Four officers fired at Griego, then took him into custody and gave first aid until paramedics arrived. Investigators are still working to determine whether Griego or an officer shot the other man, whose injuries are not life-threatening, APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos told the Albuquerque Journal.

It was the seventh officer-involved shooting in Albuquerque this year and the fifth to turn deadly, according to APD, KOB 4 reported.

Editor’s note: Updated Oct. 31, 2026. This story is now part of Daily Reports, our New Mexico news roundup, and was revised to credit KOB 4’s original reporting. Learn how Daily Reports works in our editorial standards.