Two Teens Shot in Car Outside Fast-food Restaurant

During a food run to a local fast-food restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico, two teenagers waiting in the backseat of car, were injured when 26-year-old Justin Leithead accidentally shot them. Leithead had returned to the vehicle, opened the back door and pulled out a Glock 17 pistol which discharged. 

“I pulled it, and I didn’t realize it was loaded, and I actually pulled the trigger. I was messing around with it, trying to joke around, and it went off,” Leithead told police. The shot hit a 17-year-old boy in the leg and an 18-year-old in the hand.They drove to the hospital for treatment.

Police discovered that Leithead was certified as a security guard at a level that doesn’t allow for the use of a firearm. They also noted that he was wearing a “law enforcement-style holster,” handcuffs with a pouch, and two additional loaded magazines. Leithead was charged with shooting at or from a motor vehicle, negligent use of a deadly weapon, and attempted child abuse.

Source:

Nicholas Gilmore, “Two Teens Injured in Accidental Shooting Outside South-side Santa Fe Restaurant,”santafenewmexican.com (April 14, 2026).