ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – Police say a 4-year-old girl was shot and killed during a road rage incident on I-40 Tuesday afternoon.
I-40 westbound was shut down at Coors for nearly six hours. I-40 westbound has since been reopened.
Police are searching for a suspect’s vehicle, however, due to conflicting information they are not releasing any details and are interviewing multiple witnesses.
Tuesday night, Albuquerque’s Police Chief, Gorden Eden, made a plea to the public to help solve this case.
“We are begging for the community’s help,” said Chief Eden. “This should have never happened.”
Officers said a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputy was first on scene, spotted a disabled vehicle and stopped to help. There, a frantic father said his 4-year-old daughter was shot during a road rage incident.
“I’ve seen tragic loss of children in car crashes,” said Chief Eden. “To me, this is one of the crimes which is unexplainable.”
So far no one has explained how this all started. Detectives said the suspect likely fired off shots while driving.
“This is a complete disrespect of human life,” said Eden.
Police closed westbound I-40 at Coors for about six hours, as they search the interstate for evidence.
Police said several people stopped to help. The little girl’s family rushed to the hospital.
“We owe them the highest degree of respect and a time for the family to be together,” said Chief Eden. “It’s a terrible tragic loss. We should never see these incidents happen in our community.”
The chief expressed anger that anyone would pull a gun on the road, and has a message for the shooter.
“The best thing for you to do is to turn yourself in,” said Chief Eden.
Albuquerque Police said they have been getting calls and are following up on any information they receive.
