Cops: Shooting Deaths Were Murder-Suicide

Police say two gunshot deaths yesterday in downtown Santa Fe were the result of a murder-suicide.

Jessie Saucedo, 34, shot his wife, Ernestine Romero, a 32-year-old Santa Fe singer, twice in the chest before killing himself with the same firearm, according to a news release issued by Santa Fe Police Department this afternoon.

The announcement comes after an autopsy conducted by the Office of the Medical Investigator.

The incident happened around noon on Thursday outside the Jerry Apodaca Public Education building as the two people were sitting inside a white BMW SUV that Deputy Chief Ben Valdez says belonged to Saucedo. Romero worked for the Public Education Department.

Valdez says police have not identified a motive, but have learned that the couple, who were married in 2017, had not been living together for several weeks.

A vigil for Romero is planned at the west side of the New Mexico State Capitol Building on Sunday at 9 pm, according to the website of the New Mexico Hispano Music Association, a musical organization with which Romero was affiliated.

Romero was an award-winning singer who released nine albums and collaborated with Grammy Award-winning artist Raul Ramos. Her latest album, Mi Tesoro, was released earlier this year.

"This tragic, heartbreaking incident has shaken our community and personally affected many," Valdez writes in a news release issued Friday afternoon. "We ask the community to keep the families, friends, and co-workers affected in mind as we collectively process yesterday's loss and begin the journey towards healing from this senseless tragedy."