The Bernalillo Police Department will hold its National Night Out event Tuesday at Rotary Park, the same location where a deadly shooting occurred just one week ago.
Police Chief Chris Stoyell confirmed the department will proceed with the community-building event at the park despite the recent violence that claimed one life and left another person hospitalized.
The police department’s National Night Out event, slated for Aug. 5, aims to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and residents. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign held nationwide on the first Tuesday in August.
On Monday, July 29, a 27-year-old man was killed and another man wounded in a shooting at Rotary Park around 9 p.m. The incident prompted a shelter-in-place order for residents east of the Rio Grande and south of U.S. Highway 550 while police searched for the suspect, who remains at large a week later.
The shooting marked the first homicide of 2025 for the town of Bernalillo and the first shooting ever at Rotary Park, according to Stoyell. Last year, the Bernalillo Police Department investigated only one homicide.
Rotary Park, located at 370 Rotary Park Road, features a skate park, playground equipment, grassy areas and recreational facilities that make it popular with families throughout the town.
National Night Out began in 1984 and has grown to include millions of participants across thousands of communities. The events typically feature food, games and opportunities for residents to interact with law enforcement in non-emergency settings.
Residents with information about the July 29 shooting are asked to contact the Bernalillo Police Department at (505) 898-7585.
It would have been nice if the police dept website would have had information on the event.