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Two brothers are accused of luring a man to their house near Old Town before fatally shooting him during an argument.

Xavier Torres, 22, and John Gonzales, 19, are each charged with murder in the death of 20-year-old Gabriel Montaño. Gonzales is facing additional charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and unlawful possession of a handgun by a person under 19. 

The two were arrested and booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Wednesday. It is unclear if they have attorneys. 

“Defendant joined with Xavier Torres and killed Gabriel Montaño in cold blood and there is absolutely no justification for his actions,” states a motion filed in Metropolitan Court seeking to detain Gonzales pretrial.

Police were dispatched to a home in the 3200 block of Don Gabal, near Mountain and Gabaldon, around 8 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a call that someone had been shot, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Officers arrived and found Montaño in front of the residence with a gunshot wound to the head. Police said Gonzales and Torres were near the scene and were detained in a patrol vehicle as police began their investigation.

Police spoke with a witness at the scene who said she had recorded the shooting, according to the complaint. The woman showed officers the video, which showed three men standing near the area of the shooting.

“Without warning, one of the men took a small step back and began firing about 10-15 shots at another man,” said Gilbert Gallegos, spokesperson for the Albuquerque Police Department, in a Thursday news release. “As the victim fell to the ground, the shooter continued to shoot, even after the victim was on the ground.”

The woman told officers that she knew Gonzales sold weapons on the messaging app Telegram, the complaint states. 

Officers spoke to Gonzales and Torres’ mother, who said she saw Montaño point a gun at Gonzales, according to the complaint. The woman told police that Montaño had shot at her home in the past and that Montaño and Gonzales were previously friends. 

She told officers that when Gonzales arrived home earlier that day, he said Montaño had been yelling at him, the complaint states. She said Montaño came to the house later that evening and the three were arguing before she heard gunshots. 

Officers spoke with Gonzales and Torres and both said they shot Montaño in self-defense because he had pulled a gun out first, according to the complaint.

“However, detectives determined Torres and Gonzales gave inconsistent statements and noted that they deliberately called for Montaño to go to their home, even though they suspected he would be armed with a firearm,” Gallegos said.

The two said they had armed themselves with an AR-15, among other guns, because they knew Montaño had guns with attached switches — devices that make firearms fully automatic — and they wanted to have guns of equal firepower, the complaint states. 

“We’re trying to match the energy,” Torres told police, according to the complaint. “If you got a button (another term for a switch), I’m gonna get some big (expletive).”

Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.