Kevin Metcalf, a resident of Hobbs, was sentenced on April 24 to 66 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm after shooting a store employee during an attempted liquor theft at an Albuquerque business.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about gun violence and the legal consequences faced by individuals with prior felony convictions who are found in possession of firearms. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, Metcalf entered El Rey Liquors in downtown Albuquerque on December 29, 2024, and tried to steal alcohol. When confronted by store employees, he fled but then fired a shot toward two employees standing in the doorway, hitting one in the leg. A nearby officer from the Albuquerque Police Department heard the gunshot and saw a vehicle leaving without headlights. After stopping the vehicle following a brief attempt to evade police, officers detained Metcalf and another individual. They discovered a tan firearm under Metcalf’s seat. Surveillance footage later confirmed that Metcalf was responsible for the shooting.
Metcalf admitted that he used the recovered firearm during the incident and acknowledged his status as a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. He pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and will face three years of supervised release upon completing his prison sentence.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Albert Gibes, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the sentencing. The ATF investigated with assistance from local police authorities.
