On a tragic Mother's Day, May 8, 2022, a 16-year-old male named Mario Salgado-Rosales was fatally shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The violence unfolded in the parking lot of a Party City located at 10224 Coors Blvd Bypass. When police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Mario and his cousin, Alexia Rael, deceased from gunshot wounds. The incident that claimed the two teenagers' lives was a grim murder-suicide.
The perpetrator was identified as Bradley Wallin.
At the time of the killings, Wallin was the subject of a criminal investigation. The investigation was initiated after Alexia Rael accused him of sexual abuse. Wallin had been in a past relationship with Alexia's mother, who had recently filed for a temporary restraining order against him to protect her daughter. A hearing for a permanent restraining order was scheduled for later that month.
In the midst of this turmoil, Wallin confronted the two cousins in the parking lot. He shot both Mario Salgado-Rosales and Alexia Rael before turning the gun on himself, taking his own life at the scene. The Albuquerque Police Department investigated the tragic event as a double murder and suicide, leaving a community to mourn the senseless loss of two young lives. The case was considered closed due to the death of the sole suspect.
