On the evening of March 6, 2025, 25-year-old Johnathon Oliver Layman, a white male resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was fatally shot in the garage of a residence located at 9305 Academy Hills Drive NE. The Albuquerque Police Department responded to reports of gunfire around 6:45 p.m. Upon arrival, officers discovered Layman with at least one gunshot wound. Despite emergency medical efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Layman and his pregnant girlfriend had recently moved into the home, which was occupied by her brother. On the day of the incident, Layman's girlfriend contacted her ex-boyfriend, 36-year-old Jacob Bowers, requesting a ride to the residence. Upon arrival, Bowers and Layman engaged in a confrontation in the garage, during which Bowers allegedly shot Layman. Bowers then fled the scene in his pickup truck.
The following day, March 7, APD detectives located and arrested Jacob Bowers. He was charged with an open count of murder and tampering with evidence. The case was classified as a domestic violence-related homicide.
Johnathon Layman's death is part of a broader pattern of gun violence in Albuquerque. As of March 28, 2025, the city had recorded 11 homicide cases for the year, with six occurring in March alone. Five of these March cases, including Layman's, had been solved.
Layman's passing has been memorialized on the National Gun Violence Memorial website, where community members have lit candles in his honor.
