A 7-year-old boy was shot and killed in Towaoc Tuesday night, according to information provided Wednesday evening by Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Chairman Manuel Heart and the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 school district.
The investigation is ongoing, and it is unclear if the shooting suspect is in police custody.
An email from the school district verified that the child had been a student at the Children's Kiva Montessori Charter School in Cortez.
Heart addressed the tribe and the surrounding communities during a special announcement on the Weenuche Smoke Signals Facebook page around 5 p.m. Wednesday.
“I’d like to make a special announcement today with a sad heart and sad mind of the event that happened last night, the loss of a child who was innocent, who left early to go back home to our Creator,” Heart said. “The event that happened last night was senseless. An adult made a decision to do something to harm another person. This person was a child.”
Heart encouraged the community to unite around this “tragic” event, to stay strong and support one another and the family as they heal.
“This event was very tragic and heartfelt by the whole community here in Towaoc, White Mesa and the surrounding area, including the students in our RE-1 school district. This will not be forgotten by our tribal members, the family members, everyone,” Heart said. “This was a young boy and it was not his fault. It was not his time to go.”
Heart also encouraged the community to remember the power of prayer as they support the child’s family.
“We do need to support the family, the father, the mother, the grandparents, all the relatives far and near and get them through this, especially this time year, when it’s the holidays,” Heart said.
According to Heart and the district, there will be counselors for the students who went to school with the child.
The investigation is still ongoing in the circumstances surrounding the child’s death, and Heart encouraged hurting members of the community to not retaliate and let law enforcement do their jobs.
“We ask our tribal members, family members not to retaliate, as its been mentioned by some people,” Heart said. “It may be that somebody might have said that I’m going to go out and do this, I ask you to hold on. Let us go through the process that we have in place through our justice system.”
Heart also mentioned the possibility of a candlelight vigil for the child in the near future.
Heart also shared that resolutions had been discussed and decided upon by the tribal council during an emergency meeting Wednesday morning.
Among the resolutions discussed, Heart spoke of no more shooting in the community.
“No more shooting during New Year’s, no more shooting during the Fourth of July, no more shooting period in the communities of Towaoc and White Mesa,” Heart said. “We have to be stern.”
The tribe will be setting up additional cameras and lights to help promote safety.
“We understand exercise your right, but not in the community,” Heart said.
Another resolution will be sent to the Department of Justice, asking them to hire more officers to help put a stop to crime in Indian Country.
“I see that other tribes are facing the same lack of officers in the community,” Heart shared. “No matter how big the community is, their tribal reservations, they lack officers and this is why we try to hold the BIA and Department of Justice accountable for this very reason of safety, that we may be safe in our communities.”
Heart also said that he wishes to see abandoned houses and buildings in the community tore down, noting that they help encourage criminal activity.
“If it was your child, your relative, someone you knew, someone you went to school with … I want each of you to feel that empathy of what happened last night,” Heart added.
Anyone with information on the events surrounding the shooting are encouraged to call 911 or give a report anonymously through the CrimeWatch app or online at www.cortezpd.org.
