- Details
- By Darren Thompson
Update 11:30am EST: A Gallup city spokesperson has confirmed that three suspects were in the vehicle that drove through the parade. All three have been detained and names have not been released, but multiple sources have shared with Native News Online that all suspects are American Indian.
Breaking News. On a night that was meant for celebration turned into chaos at the kickoff of 100th annual Gallup Inter-tribal Ceremonial parade in downtown Gallup, New Mexico on Thursday evening when a truck aimed for the crowd of people.
William Hawk-Birdshead, a trained medic visiting the Navajo Nation, told Native News Online that he saw a tan GMC truck accelerate through the centennial Gallup Inter-tribal Ceremonial parade, around 8:10 p.m.
He said the truck came out of nowhere moments after Navajo Nation President Jonathon Nez appeared during the parade and ended with a stand-off at a nearby jewelry store, Red Shell Jewelry.
“People were screaming,” Hawk-Birdshead said of the incident Thursday night. “It was horrifying to witness. I can’t imagine the trauma this has caused for the people.”
KOAT reported that the City of Gallup said no spectators or parade participants have been hit by the vehicle. However, reports to Native News Online, show scenes of people injured and taken by ambulance. Native News Online has not confirmed the truck struck any parade attendees, but the truck aiming towards parade attendees may have caused a crowd commition that attributed to chaos that resulted in injuries.
Multiple sources, including the New Mexico State Police, reported there were several people injured, including two members of law enforcement.
President Nez posted this message on his Facebook page late Thursday evening:
"Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez asks for prayers this evening after a vehicle drove through the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Parade this evening in downtown Gallup.
The Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial, New Mexico’s longest running and historic event, will take place in Gallup, August 4-14.
The Gallup Inter-tribal Ceremonial began in 1922, with traders wanting to attract tourists to local tribes, featuring music, powwows, parades, rodeo events, food, and vendors.
According to KOAT, The driver and two others inside the vehicle that drove into the parade were apprehended several blocks down the parade route.
Almost half of the city of Gallup's population is Native American
Gallup is a border town to the Navajo Nation. Almost half of its residents are Native American (47.7 percent).
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
More Stories Like This
Q+A: Journalist Connie Walker Reflects on Season 3 of 'Stolen' Podcast Investigating Navajo Nation MMIP CasesNative Bidaské with Sarah Eagle Heart (Oglála Lakota) on the Indigenous Fashion Collective
Twelve Cherokee Nation Cyclists, 950 Miles: The 40th Annual Remember the Removal Bike Ride
Leona Carlyle-Kakar (Ak-Chin), Instrumental in Securing the 1st Water Rights Settlement in Indian Country, Walks On
California Moves Forward with Pilot MMIP Program
Native Perspective. Native Voices. Native News.
We launched Native News Online because the mainstream media often overlooks news that is important is Native people. We believe that everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities. That's why the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers. We hope you'll consider making a donation to support our efforts so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount — big or small — gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous-centered journalism. Thank you.