Gallup Event Center Owner Vows Safety Changes After Feb. 7 Shooting, Stabbing

Gallup Police Chief Erin Toadlena‑Pablo and members of her Command Staff visited Wowie’s Event Center at 1500 S. Second St. on Feb. 12 to press the venue’s owner, Anthony Rosales, for safety fixes following a violent Feb. 7 late‑night incident that left multiple victims injured. Five days after two people were arrested in connection with the attack, the meeting included representatives from the Gallup Fire Department and Gallup Planning and Development Directors to discuss the downtown scene.

At approximately 1:07 a.m. on Feb. 7, Gallup Police responded to reports of violence at Wowie’s Event Center. Officers arrived to find multiple victims with stab wounds and reports that at least one person had been shot. Witnesses and responding officers reported suspects fleeing the scene in a Chevrolet Trailblazer, according to the compiled account of the incident.

New Mexico State Police intercepted the Chevrolet Trailblazer near Rocky View Elementary later the same night, and two individuals were taken to the Gallup Police station. The individuals were later identified as Emerson Smith, 25, and Emertina Smith, 22. Sources in the compiled report describe the two as arrested in connection with the shooting and stabbing at the 1500 S. Second St. venue; no further booking or charge details are provided in the materials reviewed.

During the Feb. 12 meeting at Wowie’s Event Center, police posted that Rosales was “very polite” and open to correcting errors located throughout his establishment. The Gallup Police Department Facebook post also quoted Rosales as saying he would obtain security for the parking lot during future events. The materials do not specify what the cited “errors” were or whether the promised parking‑lot security will be private guards, off‑duty officers, or another arrangement.

Key factual gaps remain in the public account: the compiled notes do not include the exact number of victims, victim names or medical status, whether weapons were recovered, or formal charges and court dates for Emerson Smith and Emertina Smith. The records also do not state whether Gallup Planning and Development or Gallup Fire Department imposed any immediate enforcement actions on the venue after the Feb. 12 meeting.

The incident timeline—Feb. 7 response and vehicle interception near Rocky View Elementary, followed by the Feb. 12 meeting at 1500 S. Second St.—frames the city’s immediate response. Anthony Rosales’ pledge to secure the parking lot and to “correct errors located throughout his establishment” is the latest public step taken by the venue owner after the Feb. 7 violence; the community will await police reports, court records, and any inspections by city departments for further details.