Four Albuquerque men charged in gang-related drive-by shooting

Four men from Albuquerque have been charged with murder after a gang-related drive-by shooting that killed a man in June 2024. The suspects, Rashad Jones, Tarrance Williams II, Nathaniel Munguia, all 22, and 19-year-old Malakai Nguyen, are accused of being involved in a series of retaliatory shootings between gangs. The victim, 23-year-old Javon Williams, was not a target in the gang conflict. He was sitting on the porch of a friend's house when the gunfire erupted. Police believe the shooting was part of an ongoing feud. At the time of the shooting, Munguia was wearing a GPS monitor that placed him at the scene. Evidence from cellphone records and video also linked the other suspects to the area. Jones, Munguia, and Nguyen have been taken into custody, while Tarrance Williams is wanted by police. Court records indicate that Jones was on probation for a previous drug charge at the time of the shooting. Munguia was awaiting trial for an earlier incident involving an attack on an officer, but that case was dismissed due to lack of evidence. Prosecutors are seeking to keep the three men in custody until their trial, stating the murder was planned and part of a gang rivalry. The feud escalated with several incidents starting on June 4, just days before the fatal shooting. Witness reports and security footage suggest the suspects were surveilling the location before the shootout occurred, highlighting the violent nature of the ongoing gang conflict in the area.