Leigh Cleveland charged in Albuquerque after son accidentally shot friend

Leigh Cleveland faces a gun storage charge in Albuquerque over a shooting involving her teenage son. Officers cited the mother under state law for leaving loaded weapons accessible to children.

The shooting happened on Aug. 22 on the 2800 block of Manzano Street N.E. The home sits near Claremont Avenue N.E. and San Mateo Boulevard N.E. Several boys gathered inside a bathroom, police said.

One 14-year-old boy held a handgun without ammunition and pulled the trigger. He then inserted the magazine and moved the slide. The gun fired into his 14-year-old friend’s shoulder.

The victim went to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The boy survived his wound. Officers took the shooter to the Juvenile Detention Center.

Detectives questioned Cleveland, who said the firearm belonged to her. She stored the weapon inside her home office. Cleveland said the children knew where the firearms remained in the home.

Police seized three handguns. Investigators found a Glock on an office dresser in Albuquerque. Officers located two other handguns inside a drawer, and two held loaded magazines, police said.

Detectives also recovered ammunition and a cellphone. Police said the firearms were not locked or secured safely to prevent access by children.

Under state legal procedures, gun owners face scrutiny when minors reach unsecured weapons. The statute defines criminal negligence regarding firearm storage. Prosecutors review investigative reports before trial dates are set.

Cleveland turned herself in to Albuquerque police on Friday. She is charged with Negligently Making a Firearm Accessible to a Minor. That statute followed the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Bennie Hargrove with a parent’s gun in August of 2021.