A New Mexico man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for shooting and killing another man during a heated argument over reserved seats at an Albuquerque movie theater.
Enrique Padilla, 21, pleaded no contest in November 2024 to second-degree murder in the death of 52-year-old Michael Tenorio. The tragic shooting happened on June 25, 2023, when what should have been a simple night out at the movies turned deadly.
On February 12, Padilla stood before Judge Joseph Montaño and faced Tenorio’s grieving family as he received his punishment. In the courtroom, emotions ran high.
“We need justice for him,” said Tenorio’s wife, Trina, as she spoke about her late husband. “My husband never carried a concealed weapon anywhere because he was truly a family man.”
Tenorio’s sister, whose name was not released, also addressed the judge. “I am angry and hurt that Enrique Padilla used a gun to kill my brother. Needlessly taking the life of Michael. Their father, husband, son, friend, brother, and relative,” she said. She also criticized the movie theater, which had only a small sign that said, “No guns allowed.”
Padilla apologized to the family, but his defense attorney insisted that the shooting was accidental.
That night, Padilla and his girlfriend went to an Albuquerque theater to watch No Hard Feelings. Tenorio and his wife were at the same screening. When the two couples arrived at their reserved seats, an argument broke out when Tenorio asked Padilla and his girlfriend to move over so he and his wife could sit together. Padilla’s girlfriend refused, and things escalated quickly.
According to police, Padilla threw popcorn at Tenorio, who then shoved Padilla against a wall. In response, Padilla pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots at Tenorio before running out of the theater.
When police arrived, they found Padilla outside the theater, clutching his side and claiming, “I’ve been shot.” Initially believing him to be a victim, officers took him to a nearby hospital. However, his story quickly fell apart.
Inside the theater, an off-duty police officer tried to save Tenorio’s life, performing CPR, but it was too late. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Padilla was originally charged with first-degree murder but later accepted a plea deal for a 20-year sentence. Without the deal, he could have faced life in prison.
