Overnight shootings leave 2 men in critical condition

Apr. 17—ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Two men were fighting for their lives early Saturday morning following separate shootings that occurred minutes apart on Menaul.

Albuquerque police don't believe the shootings are connected, although they are continuing to investigate.

Sgt. Tanner Tixier, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said the first shooting occurred at the Quality Inn at 1315 Menaul NE.

Police were originally dispatched to a crash at about 2:27 a.m. "but later learned that one of the occupants had been shot," he said. Tixier added that the man was transported to the hospital and was in critical condition.

"Due to the severity of his injuries and the prognosis from doctors, this incident has been made a homicide call out," he said.

The second shooting occurred at the Ramada at 2020 Menaul NE.

Tixier said officers were dispatched to that scene at 2:32 a.m. and found a man who had been shot. The victim was transported to University of New Mexico Hospital and was in critical condition.

"Despite the closeness of time and proximity, we don't believe these two shootings to be related at this time," Tixier said. "However, both continue to be under investigation and new details could emerge linking the two."

Tixier said he had no suspect information to release in either case.