A long-standing friendship ended in violence on the afternoon of October 19, 2026, when James Atkinson, a male resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was shot and killed inside an apartment in the city's Nob Hill neighborhood. The man who called 911 to report the shooting was his own friend of 13 years, who admitted to pulling the trigger.
The incident occurred around 5 p.m. at an apartment complex on the 200 block of Hermosa Drive NE, near Central Avenue and Carlisle Boulevard.
The Albuquerque Police Department received a call from 60-year-old William Dennis Wick, who requested both police and an ambulance. In the call, Wick stated that a house guest had “flipped out on him and he had to shoot him.” He told the dispatcher that the man was still breathing and had been shot in the chest, but later in the call, he concluded, "I don't think I can do anything for him and he's done, he's done."
When officers arrived, they found Wick, who was a maintenance worker at the complex, waiting for them. Inside the apartment, they discovered James Atkinson deceased with two gunshot wounds to the torso. According to police, Wick had been allowing Atkinson to stay with him in the apartment since July of that year. The two had known each other for over a decade.
During interviews with detectives, Wick recounted the events that led to the fatal shooting. He stated that an argument had broken out in the living room. Wick, who told police he always kept his gun nearby for protection because Atkinson would sometimes "blow up" or get "nuts," was sitting in his recliner with the firearm beside him. He claimed Atkinson approached him with aggression. Wick said he pointed the gun at his friend to get him to calm down and warned him twice that he would shoot if he didn't stop.
According to the criminal complaint, Wick alleged that Atkinson told him to shoot, saying "I need it," before reaching for the weapon. Wick told police he feared Atkinson was going to attack him and that he had no other way to defend himself. He said Atkinson attempted to take the gun, at which point Wick fired twice. A handgun, two magazines, and two spent casings were recovered by police at the scene. After his account to investigators, Wick reportedly said, "It sucks, he was my friend." A neighbor later told police that the night before the shooting, Wick had expressed frustration with Atkinson, calling him a "drunk asshole."
The Albuquerque Police Department handled the investigation. Following their interviews and a review of the evidence, detectives arrested William Dennis Wick without incident. He was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on an open count of murder. Court records show a detention hearing was scheduled for October 26, 2026, in the Second Judicial District Court with Judge Courtney B. Weaks presiding.
As of late October 2026, the case against William Dennis Wick was in the initial stages of litigation. The investigation remained active as authorities continued to process the scene and evaluate the claims made by the suspect. No information has been publicly released about James Atkinson's life, his family, or his background. The case highlights a tragic instance of interpersonal violence that ended the life of one man and led to a murder charge for his longtime friend.
