Vanessa Ordonez was 16 when she was killed on the evening of Sunday, August 26, 2018. A student at Atrisco Heritage Academy High School and planning for college, Vanessa attended a party on a sandbar by the Rio Grande in a community south of Albuquerque. The gathering turned violent: fights broke out and gunfire erupted. Vanessa was shot and also struck by a vehicle; first responders found her at the scene and she was pronounced dead. A 33-year-old man was also shot in the face and was expected to recover.

The Valencia County Sheriff’s Office investigated, interviewing witnesses and processing the scene. Fundraisers were held to help the family with funeral costs.

If anyone attended that gathering or has information about who was responsible for Vanessa’s death, please come forward.