2 men get life sentences in shooting death of 11-year-old outside stadium that prompted gun ban

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Two men were sentenced Wednesday to lifelong terms in prison in the shooting death of an 11-year-old boy outside an Albuquerque baseball stadium in 2023 that prompted the New Mexico governor to issue a controversial gun ban, the district attorney's office in Albuquerque said.

Investigators say a truck carrying a mother and three young children was mistaken for another vehicle in the shooting as vehicles were leaving the stadium. Gunfire killed 11-year-old Froylan Villegas and paralyzed cousin Tatiana Villegas, while Foylan’s mother and baby brother were unharmed.

A jury in February convicted Jose Romero and Nathen Garley, both in their early 20s, of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, shooting at or from a vehicle and other charges in the death of Villegas.

The men were sentenced to life in prison plus 46 years, ensuring they will stay under Corrections Department custody permanently, prosecutors said.

In the aftermath of the shooting and others that killed children, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a public health emergency over gun violence, temporarily suspending the right to carry guns in some parks and playgrounds in the greater Albuquerque area. The decision touched off protests and legal challenges by advocates for gun rights.

District Attorney Sam Bregman, a Democratic candidate for governor in 2026, said in a statement that the shootings “shook our entire community" and praised his staff for pursuing accountability.