Gunfire at the mall
Police look for a man who shot into food court area

Edward Lucero III is photographed by Gallup Police CSI Krissy Leekity after a bullet grazed his torso and and arm during a shooting outside the Rio West Mall Thursday afternoon. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Brian Leddy

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — Police are looking for a man whom they believe shot into a group of people at Rio West Mall Thursday.

Lance Ortiz, 22, allegedly fired the first of two rounds from a handgun straight up into the air while seated inside a tan SUV before firing another round toward five men walking into the north entrance of the mall. One of the five men, Edward Lucero III, suffered minor grazing wounds to his torso and left arm, but nobody was seriously injured.

“We just pulled up and he was waving his pistol in the air,” Lucero said at the scene.

According to police reports, Ortiz and an unknown number of passengers had been parked near the food court entrance around noon Thursday. Lucero, along with T.J. Brown, Joseph Chavez, David Martinez and Richard Mazon said they were walking across the parking lot and toward the entrance when the first shot went off. They crouched down near the entrance as the tan SUV sped away. Ortiz allegedly turned around as the SUV was leaving and fired another round toward the five men, wounding Lucero.

Police said that the bullet that grazed Lucero stopped just beyond him when it hit the Food Court entrance window.

On the other side of that window was a family of five, including three children between ages 3 months and 3 years.

Ironically, Lucero was a suspect in a Gamerco shooting Jan. 21. In that case Lucero admitted to being with the suspects, but was later cleared of criminal charges.

Gallup Police acquired an arrest warrant for Ortiz Thursday night. He faces one attempted first-degree murder charge, six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and three counts of child abuse.

Crimestoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of Lance Ortiz. Crimestoppers in Gallup can be reached at (505) 722-6161.

Reporter Phil Stake can be reached at philip.stake@gmail.com, or by calling (505) 863-6811 x222.