A newly released body camera video shows the shocking moments leading up to the death of 13-year-old Amber Archuleta, a young girl allegedly shot by her 14-year-old friend, Porfirio Brown.
Brown shot Archuleta with a handgun at a home in Questa, New Mexico on July 28, police said. She died minutes after first responders arrived on the scene.
The shooting death marked the second time in New Mexico history that an alleged gunman's parents had been arrested after their child was accused of a crime. William Brown, 39, is facing charges after he allegedly left his guns out in his home unsecured, allowing his son to easily access them.
"Most of them are secured," William Brown allegedly told law enforcement seconds before he was arrested. "I have a few that are out," he said referencing his guns.
The body camera footage shows police officers interrogating witnesses minutes after the crime was reported.
"We were having a good old time," a 14-year-old girl told police. She, Archuleta, Archuleta's brother and Porfirio Brown were all hanging out and listening to music, according to the girl. "Next thing you know, [Brown] pulls out a handgun. He points it at her, and she went to take it away from her face. All the sudden you just hear a boom… I look and I see her fall to the ground, and she just starts to bleed."
According to a New Mexico State Police press release, after the shooting, Porfirio Brown pulled the girl's body outside of the home.
Archuleta's brother told police that after the shooting, "[Porfirio Brown] said he was going to kill himself. He kept asking me and [the 14-year-old witness] to get her to the road to say somebody drove by and shot her in a drive-by."
The 14-year-old girl told investigators a similar story, saying Porfirio Brown urged her to tell police he was uninvolved, and only learned of the shooting when Archuleta's brother knocked on his door asking for help.
"My friend came knocking on my door, and said someone shot his sister," body camera video captures Porfirio Brown telling police. "I ran over there and started carrying her."
At first, officials start their investigation by following Porfirio Brown's claims — looking along the road for any evidence. When they speak with his father, William Brown, investigators hear a similar story.
"I was at work, he called me," body camera video captures William Brown explaining to first responders. "He said that there was a girl that was shot… He said it was a black SUV."
The video shows investigators piecing together what really happened, eventually telling William Brown, "As far as a black SUV, that's not what happened."
Before Porfirio Brown is taken into police custody, the video shows a scuffle between the teen and law enforcement. He was eventually charged with murder in the first degree, two counts of tampering with evidence, and two counts of assault on a police officer. A judge later reduced the top charge to second-degree murder.
After he's placed in the back of a squad car, a dash-camera video recording captures him saying, "They ain't got nothing on me. I ain't worried."
Before William Brown is arrested, body camera video captures an officer saying to other responding officers, "There's a lot of guns in that house, none of them are secured."
William Brown was charged with negligent making a firearm accessible to a minor resulting in death.
This marks the first time someone in New Mexico has been charged since the passing of Bennie's Law in March. The law is named after Albuquerque middle schooler Bennie Hargrove, who was shot and killed during recess. Hargrove's classmate used his father's gun to commit murder. Under the law, a parent can be charged if they do not properly secure firearms before their child commits a gun-related crime.
After his arrest, Porfirio Brown was booked into a juvenile detention center. He's since been released to live with his grandparents, is being homeschooled, and is required to wear a GPS monitor. Porfirio Brown has been ordered to refrain from contact with his father.
Prosecutors are pursuing a "youthful offender" status for Porfirio Brown, which means he would be tried in juvenile court, but if he were convicted of murder, a special sentencing hearing, known as an "amenability hearing" would be held in the case to determine if he would be sentenced as a juvenile or adult. If sentenced as an adult, he could get life in prison.
William Brown was booked into the Taos County Jail but has since been released.
Both father and son await trial.
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