Youth enters plea in Coronado mall shooting

A 15-year-old charged with firing a gunshot after getting into a fight at Coronado Center on Nov. 24 entered a plea agreement last week that will put him in custody for a year, court records show.

Isaiah Montoya admitted to one count of shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, according to a plea agreement filed in the Children’s Division of the 2nd Judicial District Court.

The agreement calls for his commitment for one year to the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department. The agreement requires Montoya to remain in custody, said Nancy Laflin, a spokeswoman for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Under the agreement, other charges he faced were dismissed, including disorderly conduct, unlawful possession of a handgun, unlawfully carrying a deadly weapon and property damages.

The gunshot outside the entrance of a major shopping mecca sent Black Friday shoppers dashing for cover and briefly sparked concerns that an active shooter was in the Uptown-area mall.

Albuquerque police said a single bullet casing was found at the scene, and the following day, someone found a handgun outside the mall and turned it over to police.

Laflin said Wednesday that authorities had not determined how the Highland High School student obtained the weapon.

An officer initially reported an active shooter at the mall around 3:50 p.m., according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Metropolitan Court.

Police said a teen in the mall told them he and Montoya had an ongoing dispute over social media, the affidavit said. The teen told police he punched Montoya when he saw him, and Montoya chased him with a gun.

Surveillance video showed Montoya fire a single shot from outside, striking the building, according to the affidavit.