ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Police Department says a Subway store employee shot and killed a suspected robber inside the southeast Albuquerque restaurant early Tuesday morning.
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Tuesday morning, Subway employees told officers an armed person walked into the restaurant around 5:20 a.m. and tried robbing an employee. The Albuquerque Police Department says that’s when another worker who had a gun came out of a back room and shot the suspected robber.
The New Mexico Business Coalition says it’s worried about employee safety at Albuquerque businesses and isn’t surprised some are carrying guns. “Unfortunately, employers and employees are living in fear for their lives now in New Mexico and they’re taking extraordinary measures to protect themselves,” New Mexico Business Coalition President Carla Sonntag said.
The group said it has concerns over APD’s response times while the department is short-staffed. News 13 asked APD about its average response time to armed robbery calls but have not heard back.
It’s too soon to know if this is considered a justifiable homicide. Police say they’re concerned this is the second robbery-turned-homicide at a restaurant or business in recent weeks.
“It happens maybe once a year, is what I’m told,” APD Spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos stated. “It typically happens at establishments that maybe Tobacco Town or these tobacco shops for whatever reason, but not at a Subway like this.”
The last shooting by an employee of a suspected robber was on Labor Day at Tobacco Town near 4th and Griegos. APD and prosecutors are looking at that case as a justifiable homicide. News 13 went back to Tobacco Town on Tuesday and an employee says he is worried about crime in the city.
APD says its so-called Turn the Tide initiative aims to get more armed robbery suspects off the street by serving more warrants. That’s been active for a couple of weeks and officers say that’s led them to one homicide suspect so far.
Police interviewed the subway shooter to learn more about what led up to the shooting. They still have not identified the employee or the robber.
