In the early summer of 2023, the life of 18-year-old Marcos Perez, a Hispanic male, was tragically cut short in his lifelong home of Albuquerque, New Mexico. On the evening of June 3, 2023, what began as a birthday party devolved into violence that would ultimately claim three young lives. The Albuquerque Police Department was called to a residence in the 4400 block of Hilton Ave., N.E., where they discovered a grim scene.
Inside the home, officers found Marcos Perez, along with two
other young men, deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. Homicide detectives determined that a physical altercation had erupted during the party involving Perez, his friend Nicholas Ortega, and another individual named Jordan Johnson. The dispute escalated with catastrophic speed when Johnson brandished a handgun and fatally shot Marcos Perez.
In the immediate aftermath of Perez's shooting, a gunfight broke out between Nicholas Ortega and Jordan Johnson. The exchange of fire resulted in the deaths of both Ortega and Johnson. Investigators concluded that all individuals directly involved in the shootings were deceased, leaving no outstanding suspects and therefore, no arrests to be made in the case. A 17-year-old female was also wounded by gunfire during the chaotic incident but survived after being treated at a local hospital and released. The event marked a devastating loss for the community, ending three young lives in a single, violent encounter.
