17 shootings that have occurred in Albuquerque in the last two years have all been tied to firearms that were purchased by one person.
25-year-old Adin Kellner bought multiple firearms that ended up in the hands of relatives, friends and others who committed these shootings.
Kellner himself, alongside his brother, were arrested last month for their role in a shooting at an apartment complex.
According to the Albuquerque Police Department, the brothers were firing several rounds at a car owned by Kellner’s ex-girlfriend. 11 bullet casings found at the scene were later tested and matched casings from three other shootings that occurred in 2022.
Police Chief Harold Medina disclosed that Kellner is currently not in custody, and is wearing a GPS ankle monitor.
Medina stressed that these firearms were legally purchased and nothing was flagged during Kellner’s background checks .
"The key thing is, these guns were properly purchased, there were no violations. Gun stores did nothing wrong, clerks did nothing wrong at these stores. These were properly purchased firearms, the thing is, Mr. Kellner then provided these firearms to others and that’s when we started to see the issues and the problems.”
Seven of Kellner’s guns have been recovered by law enforcement, two still remain out in the public.
Medina commended the uses of technology in this case and said several agency partners were also instrumental during this investigation.
Highlighting tools like shot-spotter and the ballistics-tracking technology used by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
He also hopes the new law, HB 306 which was signed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham will help cut down on straw purchases of firearms and give law enforcement more teeth when pursuing charges.
HB 306 makes it a fourth-degree felony for anyone that knowingly purchases a firearm from another person who cannot lawfully own it or intends to use it for a crime.