Michael Salinas sentenced to 38 years in fatal Albuquerque park shooting

A judge sentenced Michael Salinas to prison for a fatal Albuquerque park shooting. The ruling delivers nearly four decades behind bars for the violent attack. He received the punishment on Wednesday.

Judge Brett Loveless ordered Salinas to serve 38 years behind bars. The term will be followed by five years of supervised probation.

The violence happened in February 2022. Salinas was 15 years old at the time. He sent a text message to another teen. Salinas stated he wanted to fight him at Westgate Community Park.

That teen brought three friends along to the Albuquerque park. Vincent Le went with the group. Salinas opened fire on their car when the group arrived. The gunfire killed Le. The shooting also injured the three other teens.

A jury found Salinas guilty of first-degree murder last year. Jurors also convicted him on three counts of shooting at a motor vehicle.

First-degree murder is a serious felony offense under state law. Convicted defendants face lengthy prison terms before becoming eligible for supervised release in Albuquerque.

The state will supervise Salinas for five years once his prison sentence ends.