Man accused of fatally shooting man over woman in International District

An Albuquerque man was recently arrested after allegedly gunning down a man defending his friend outside a smoke shop in Northeast Albuquerque earlier this year.

Anthony Kennedy, 60, is charged with an open count of murder, tampering with evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in the Jan. 16 killing of Keyshawn Ball, 23.

Kennedy was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Feb. 21. His attorney could not be reached for comment.

A witness identified Kennedy in a photo and told police Ball was killed over a woman, according to a criminal complaint filed at Metropolitan Court.

At 11:36 p.m. Jan. 16, the Albuquerque Police Department responded to a call of a gunshot in the 8300 block of Central, near Utah. Officers found Ball with a gunshot wound to the chest and a casing nearby, according to the complaint.

A woman told police she heard two men arguing outside a smoke shop before hearing gunshots, seeing Ball on the ground and a white sedan drive away, the complaint states. The woman told police she believed someone inside the car shot Ball.

Security video from nearby businesses showed Ball and a man — later identified as Kennedy — talking on Central and Utah when Ball turned to Kennedy and backed away, the complaint states. Kennedy raised his right arm toward Ball, "as if (he was) controlling the recoil from a handgun," and Ball ran backward before collapsing next to a white Lincoln, police said.

Kennedy walked away before going inside Street Safe New Mexico, the complaint states. A woman with Street Safe told police Kennedy lived in the building and helped her install security cameras.

On Jan. 20, a witness told police Ball was "murdered over a girl," a 30-year-old woman who went to Street Safe, police said. The witness told police, the woman, who was staying with Kennedy, began seeing Ball's friend, the complaint states. This upset Kennedy, who "started talking (expletive) and making threats" toward the friend, police said.

The witness told police Ball stood up for his friend, saying Kennedy "wasn't going to do anything" to them, according to the complaint. The witness told police Kennedy said something he could not hear before Ball took a swing at Kennedy, who then pulled out a pistol and shot Ball in the face, police said.

On Jan. 23, police found a handgun and ammunition belonging to Kennedy inside Street Safe along with a jacket they saw him wear on video surveillance from the night of the homicide, the complaint states.