An Albuquerque teenager, Mackenzie Vargas, approximately 15 years old, was apprehended on November 15th in Rio Rancho, facing multiple charges including shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, shooting at or from a vehicle, unlawful carrying of a handgun by a person under 19, negligent use of a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The incident unfolded when law enforcement authorities received a distress call reporting an ongoing shooting in the 1800 block of Sierra Norte Loop. Witnesses stated that a white pickup truck, carrying an ATV in its bed, had fired shots at a residence and was last seen heading east towards Unser Blvd.

Responding officers quickly spotted a vehicle matching the given description, making a turn south on Unser Blvd. at the intersection with Northern Blvd. They promptly initiated a traffic stop in the parking lot of Legacy Church, located at 1000 Premiere Parkway. Once the vehicle’s occupants were detained, one of them was identified as Mackenzie Vargas, seated in the rear driver’s side.

During the subsequent investigation, Vargas claimed that she had visited the mentioned address with the intention of obtaining a refund for the recently purchased ATV. However, she became agitated when the previous owner refused to reimburse her. In a fit of anger, she admitted to using a silver handgun to shoot at the vehicle parked in the driveway, intending to cause damage equivalent to the value of the ATV.

Vargas confessed to firing an unknown number of rounds towards the vehicle and the occupied residence before fleeing the scene. She also disclosed that she disposed of the handgun by throwing it into the bed of the truck’s trunk, fearing the consequences of her actions.

Upon further investigation, officers discovered a silver handgun in the truck’s bed, along with several spent shell casings found both at the scene and inside the vehicle.