A Saturday afternoon on the south side of Santa Fe turned fatal when 24-year-old Alexia Verdugo Sigala was shot inside a home off Rufina Street. First responders rushed to the scene shortly before 2:00 p.m. on September 5, 2026, after emergency dispatchers received a call about a gunshot inside the residence near Atocha Road.
Alexia was alive when Santa Fe Fire Department paramedics arrived at the neighborhood house. Emergency crews treated her on the spot before rushing her to a nearby emergency room. Due to the severity of the gunshot wound to her upper body, doctors called for an air ambulance to fly her directly to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque.
Surgeons at UNM Hospital worked to save Alexia after the emergency flight landed. Despite their efforts, the young woman died from her injuries later that day. Friends and family members were left waiting outside the trauma center as police officers began piecing together what happened inside the home.
Back at the Santa Fe house, detectives learned that Alexia was with her adult brother when the gun went off. Investigators say her brother had been handling a rifle inside the residence. According to initial statements given at the scene, the weapon discharged unexpectedly, striking Alexia where she stood.
Crime scene technicians cordoned off the property on Rufina Street through late Saturday afternoon. Officers secured the rifle involved in the shooting and took it into police custody as key physical evidence. Detectives brought her brother to the police station to undergo questioning about how the rifle was loaded and handled.
While initial emergency calls reported the event as an accidental discharge, Santa Fe Police Department officials confirmed they are handling the case as a homicide investigation. Detectives are working alongside prosecutors from the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office to review physical evidence and decide on formal criminal charges against the brother.
Police spokesperson updates noted that authorities are not looking for any other individuals in connection with the fatal shooting. Officials assured local residents that there is no active danger to the surrounding neighborhood. The investigation remains open as prosecutors evaluate the final findings from the crime scene process.
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