On Halloween night, October 31, 2021, 18-year-old Hispanic/Latino male Lorenzo Romero was at a party at the Valley View Apartments in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A disturbance involving gunfire broke out, and in the ensuing chaos, Romero was shot. He was privately transported to a local hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
Another individual also arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound from the same incident, and a third person reported being hit by a vehicle while trying to flee the scene.
Lorenzo, known to friends and family as "Lolo," had graduated from high school just a few months prior to his death. He was a decorated athlete at Valley High School, having made All-State in football and been a member of the state championship-winning basketball team. His mother described him as a father figure to his younger siblings, and he was remembered as a loving, caring, and protective young man.
For nearly three years, the case remained without significant public developments. Then, in June 2024, the Albuquerque Police Department announced a major breakthrough. Two suspects were identified and charged with murder in connection with Lorenzo Romero's death: Ray Torres and Alexavier Gutierrez. Torres turned himself in to the authorities. His vehicle and a gun registered to him were reportedly used during the shooting.
The second suspect, Alexavier Gutierrez, was apprehended at the Santa Teresa Border Patrol Station. During questioning, Gutierrez allegedly confessed to detectives that he had fired a gun at the party, stating that he believed someone was going to shoot at him, though he claimed he didn't know if he had hit anyone. Both men were taken into custody, and a judge ordered them to be held in jail until their trial. The arrests brought a complex mix of relief and renewed grief for Lorenzo's family, who had long awaited answers in the death of the beloved young athlete.
