Father shoots, kills son
Argument ends with a single shot to the head

A home in Gamerco was the site of homicide on Tuesday night. Mark Duane Krueger allegedly shot his Solomon Krueger during a dispute at 210 Rosarita St. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Brian Leddy

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GAMERCO — A 46-year-old man allegedly shot and killed his 24-year-old son Tuesday night.

Mark Duane Krueger, 46, is being held on $100,000 cash-only bond after he was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon about 2 a.m. Wednesday.

Paramedics took Solomon Krueger, 24, to the hospital immediately after police arrived with guns drawn Tuesday about 9:30 p.m. Police found Solomon still lying on the kitchen floor with a bullet wound to his left forehead. His father and one brother, Scottie Krueger, 18, stood silently over Solomon; neither responded when McKinley County Sheriff’s Sgt. Joel Moya walked into their 210 Rosita St. trailer and asked “who has the gun?”

Another brother, Mark Samuel Krueger, 21, was kneeling beside Solomon when Moya walked into the trailer, according to Moya’s report. Moya rephrased his question: “Who shot him?” Scottie Krueger slowly raised a finger in his father’s direction: “He did.”

Police believe Mark Duane Krueger shot Solomon Krueger with a .22-caliber revolver. Doctors told police Solomon was brain dead shortly after arrival. His body held on until about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, when the charge against his father was upped to murder in the first degree.

Investigators were awaiting blood results for Mark Duane Krueger Thursday morning. Scottie Krueger said during a police interview that his father had started drinking beer and whiskey about noon Tuesday; then Solomon joined him at about 4 p.m., according to the probable cause statement filed at magistrate court.

According to the statement, while being read his rights at 10:40 p.m. Tuesday, Mark Duane Krueger uttered to himself “what kind of father shoots his son in the head?”

Scottie Krueger told investigators that he left to play basketball about 7 p.m., returning about 9 p.m. When he returned to the trailer, Solomon and his father were arguing about Krueger’s former wife — Solomon’s mother — and his father had in his right hand a black revolver, which Scottie had never seen before. He told police he was not even aware that there had been a gun in the house. He said his father then aimed the gun at the ceiling and fired one round.

Scottie said he then left the room, not wanting any part of the situation ... and a few seconds later he heard the second gunshot.

Mark Samuel Krueger, when interviewed by investigators, said he had been in his room asleep since 3 p.m. Shortly after 9 p.m., he awoke to Scottie telling him that their father had shot a gun in the house, and that he was arguing with Solomon. Mark Samuel put on his slippers and walked into the living room, where his father and brother were standing.

Mark Samuel told investigators that the first time he had ever seen the gun was when it was in his father’s hand that night about 9:20 p.m.

Mark Samuel said his father told him that Solomon was trying to cut or stab him; however Solomon had no weapons.

Mark Samuel went back to his bedroom and had just lain down when he heard the second gunshot.

He went back into the living room, attached to the kitchen, in which Solomon lay on his back. Scottie was screaming. His father was standing over Solomon’s motionless body, and the gun was on the kitchen table. Mark Samuel picked it up and threw it out the kitchen window. Then he ran back to his bedroom, where his girlfriend was still lying down, and told her to call 911. He told police that when he returned to the kitchen, he heard his father say: “I shot Sol.”

Mark Samuel saw Solomon start to vomit, and to keep him from choking in his reclined state, he pushed his father out of the way and turned his brother’s body onto its side, and waited for police to arrive.

At 10 p.m., investigators arrived at Gallup Indian Medical Center, where Solomon’s doctor told them he was brain dead and had been placed on life-support. Solomon died about nine hours later.

Director Donna Goodrich at Gallup McKinley Adult Detention Center said Wednesday that Krueger is being watched as a precaution against suicide.

Reporter Phil Stake can be reached at philip.stake@gmail.com, or by calling (505) 863-6811 x223.