APD: Man critical after being shot

Officers say 18-year-old was selling lanterns in NE ABQ on Monday

An 18-year-old man selling decorative lanterns from a trailer at the corner of Lomas and University NE was shot and seriously injured Monday night, according to an Albuquerque police spokesman.

He was still in critical condition Tuesday afternoon.

Officer Simon Drobik said that around 10:45 p.m. police were called to the vacated Galles Chevrolet car dealership for reports of shots being fired. When they got there, they found a man, later identified as Syed Haider, had been taken to the hospital with “severe trauma.”

“Officers also learned the victim … was selling merchandise on the corner of Lomas and University when an altercation took place,” Drobik wrote in an email. “Witnesses reported hearing gunfire during the altercation.”

He said Haider had set up a trailer and a pop-up tent for shade in the parking lot, and was selling hanging, orb-shaped lanterns. He had been there since at least 7 p.m.

Due to the extent of Haider’s injuries, the case was initially assigned to the homicide unit, Drobik said, but impact detectives from the Southeast Area Command have taken over the investigation.

Drobik said they are looking for a suspect described as a Hispanic male, 20 to 30 years old, wearing black pants and a white shirt, and possibly driving a tan sedan.

He said detectives are still investigating and don’t know if the shooting was random or if the suspect knew Haider. He said they also do not know why he was shot.