ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A New Mexico teen is accused in the shooting death of another man after a dispute over reserved seating at a theater showing Jennifer Lawrence’s latest film.
The shooting occurred on Sunday occurred in Albuquerque during a showing of the new comedy, “No Hard Feelings,” KRQE-TV reported.
Enrique Padilla, 19, faces a murder charge in the death of 52-year Michael Tenorio, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Padilla also is accused of shooting at an occupied building and tampering with evidence, the newspaper reported.
VIDEO: Police respond to fatal movie theater shooting in Albuquerque https://t.co/6lgC1HOGIi
— KRQE News 13 (@krqe) June 27, 2023
According to the Albuquerque Police Department, Padilla was arrested Monday after he was discovered hiding in bushes near an emergency exit to the Cinemark Century Rio theater in northeastern Albuquerque, NBC News reported. Padilla allegedly told police that he suffered a gunshot wound to his abdomen, according to the news outlet.
“There was a sense of chaos here,” Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos told reporters, according to the Journal. “A lot of people were running from the theaters and trying to get out of the way.”
Police said the shooting followed a dispute between Padilla and Tenorio over reserved seats. Officers said that Padilla and his girlfriend confronted Tenorio and his wife, claiming that the older couple was sitting in seats reserved by the 19-year-old, KRQE reported.
According to a criminal complaint, Tenorio and his wife arrived at the theater and bought tickets to the 8:50 p.m. showing of “No Hard Feelings,” a new romantic comedy starring Lawrence, an Academy Award-winning actress.
The couple bought tickets for seats 8 and 11 in Row F of Theater 15, and an employee advised them to sit together and ask the people sitting in seats 9 and 10 to move down a seat, according to the complaint.
When Padilla and his date arrived at their seats, they allegedly got into an argument with Tenorio and his wife over the seats, the Journal reported. Padilla’s date went to get an employee, who attempted to end the dispute and offered refunds, according to KRQE.
The two couples ultimately sat next to each other but continued arguing, according to the television station.
According to the complaint, Padilla allegedly threw a tub of popcorn into the face of Tenorio’s wife, the Journal reported.
Witnesses told police that after Tenorio pushed Padilla into a wall, shots rang out, according to the newspaper.
An off-duty police officer was in the theater and performed CPR on Tenorio, who died at the scene, Albuquerque police Chief Harold Medina told reporters.
Police said that a black 9 mm firearm with a green laser beam was found in a bush near the area where authorities found Padilla, KOAT-TV reported.
