Arrest made in June 21 shooting of three men

Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 02 July 2015 02 July 2015

Albert Vega (Photo Courtesy of Grant County Detention Center)

By Roger Lanse

Silver City police officers were dispatched to the area of 6th and Swan streets at about 8:55 p.m. on June 21, in response to a report of shots fired. While en route, a responding officer advised that quite a few vehicles and people were leaving the area.

 

When officers arrived, they determined that two people had been shot and brought to Gila Regional Medical Center by "the boys," the mother of one of the victims said, according to an incident report. After making sure the area was secure, officers headed to secure the hospital, where the two gunshot victims had been taken. While at the hospital, personnel there related to officers that three gunshot victims had been brought to the ER, Sean Stewart Jr, 19; Albert Vega, 18; and Gilbert Gomezlopez, 23, all of Silver City.

Officers, the report stated, observed that Stewart had been shot three times, once each in the right foot, right elbow and right shoulder; Vega had a single gunshot wound to his upper right arm; and Gomezlopez had approximately seven gunshot wounds - four in the abdominal area, two in his upper right thigh, and one in his left arm. Doctors confirmed that Gomezlopez had seven wounds and that all three victims would be flown to El Paso for treatment, according to the report.

Witnesses stated that an argument ensued over the phone and escalated to others coming over to fight and then gunshots were heard, the report said. Witnesses, initially, were unable to help officers piece together exactly what happened. However, one victim stated, according to the report, that another victim pointed a chrome-finished handgun at his face and fired, hitting him in the right arm.

Officers transported witnesses to SCPD for questioning, and officers went to the hospital to collect the three victims' clothes. The scene was cleared at about 5:38 a.m. the next day.

As a result of the investigation, Albert Vega was arrested, without incident, by Grant County sheriff's deputies at his residence on Bobwhite Drive on Wednesday, July 1, about 5:20 p.m., and taken to the Grant County Detention Center under a $20,000 cash or surety bond. GCDC personnel informed the Grant County Beat at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, July 2, that Vega was still in custody.

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.