Man shot in east Gallup

A Gallup Police Investigator take photos of the blood soaked ground at the scene of a shooting in an empty lot near the Silver Stallion on Wednesday afternoon. The victim was shot 4 times and had to be flown to Albuquerque for further medical attention. The condition of the man is currently unknown. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

A Gallup police detective conducts an interview with a possible witness to a shooting Wednesday afternoon at 2200 E. Rt. 66 in Gallup. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

GALLUP — An argument Wednesday afternoon between two strangers along U.S. Highway 66 led to a Native American man being shot in the leg.

The suspect fled in his car after the shooting, and city police officials said they only had a general description of the man and his car.

Police spokeswoman Erin Toadlena-Pablo said police were still trying to get the name of the victim Thursday morning. Officials at the hospital, citing federal privacy laws, refused to divulge the name to police.

The incident began earlier in the afternoon when the victim began having car problems near Shop and Save on the west side of town. He was able to hitch a ride to the Pronto Fina on the east side of town and began walking on U.S. Highway 66 east toward a friend's house.

He was walking by the Hacienda Motel in the 2200 block of U.S. Highway 66 when a car pulled up along side of him. Inside was a Native American man between 5'7" and 5'9". The victim said he did not know the man.

The car was described as a Monte Carlo, burgundy to purple in color, either 1999 or 2000. There were no license plates on it at the time.

Pablo said at that time the suspect and the victim "began talking smack." After a few minutes of arguing, the victim walked away from the car and began going south in a vacant lot area just east of the Coca-Cola Distribution Plant.

The suspect then drove a little east and went into the parking lot at the Silver Stallion Saloon and drove to the back of the lot. The suspect then, according to witnesses, slowly got out of his vehicle, pulled out a high-powered rifle and shot three times in quick succession with the rifle on his hip.

The victim, who was about 60 yards away, fell to the ground unharmed but the suspect then walked up to the victim and shot him in the leg.

Pablo said the suspect then walked slowly back to his car and drove off west on Aztec.

Except for the verbal argument, it appears there was no other reason for the shooting, said Pablo.

She said Crimestoppers is offering a reward for any information leading to the arrest of the suspect.