ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – “We buried him on March 5th right here.” Al Burson visits his son’s grave at Mount Calvary Cemetery near the ‘Big I’ often. “Probably once a week, just to spend a few minutes. I usually bring flowers or a gift for him.”
His youngest son, Andrew Burson, was murdered in February near West Mesa High School just after class started. He was just 16 years old. “That was the most horrible day of my life. I mean, his last day was my worst day.”
Al recalls that Friday morning was like any other. He said they had breakfast together before he left for school. “I wouldn’t have known a few hours later I would have police showing up to let me know he’s gone.”
According to a criminal complaint, Burson had accused a classmate, 14-year-old Marco Trejo, of stealing his gun. The two allegedly argued over the firearm, eventually the argument turning physical.
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Albuquerque Police say Trejo started running away on 64th Street with Burson chasing after him when Trejo took out a gun and shot Burson five times. According to the complaint, Burnson’s friends told police it was a ghost gun he had assembled himself. That gun has still yet to be found.
For now, Al Burson says he’s waiting for the facts to come out in court. “I still haven’t seen everything. I just know what’s stated during the hearings and all of the reports I have seen and from talking to the witnesses,” he said. “Knowing my son, and every parent will say this, he was a happy kid, and I can’t say for certain he wasn’t.”
It’s been more than six months since the murder, but Burson says there isn’t a day that goes by he doesn’t think of Andrew. “It’s hard. I pray every night, and this is not a religious thing, but I pray every night that God lets him know how much we miss him and love him.”
Al says just days before he was killed, Andrew talked about his future. He had visions of being a police officer or getting into real estate. “I will never get to see what he becomes, good or bad, or whatever, I will never get to talk to him, see grandkids from him, never, none of that will exist.”
The Burson family is pushing to keep Trejo behind bars until his trial. They believe the community is safer that way. Trejo pleaded not guilty in April. The now 15-year-old will be back in court next Thursday for a pretrial conference.