FEDERAL FIREARMS PLEA ENTERED IN SHIPROCK SHOOTING CASE

A Shiprock man has entered a guilty plea in federal court to a firearms offense stemming from a shooting incident that occurred in August 2025 within Navajo Nation territory.

Bryson Chee, 43, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty to using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The plea arises from events on August 1, 2025, when Chee arrived at a residence in Shiprock as a passenger in a vehicle accompanied by two other individuals. According to court records, Chee exited the vehicle, retrieved a handgun, pointed it at the occupants of the residence, and opened fire as they attempted to flee in a vehicle.

No fatalities were reported in the charging documents, though the conduct described forms the basis of a federal firearms enhancement under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), which criminalizes the use or brandishing of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. A conviction under this statute carries a mandatory minimum sentence. In Chee’s case, the brandishing element triggers a statutory minimum of seven years in federal prison, which must be imposed consecutively to any underlying sentence tied to the associated violent offense.

Federal jurisdiction applies in this matter due to the alleged conduct occurring within Indian Country and involving an enrolled tribal member. Under applicable federal statutes, certain violent crimes committed in Indian Country are prosecuted in United States District Court rather than state court.

The case was investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jack E. Burkhead.

Sentencing will be determined by the federal court in accordance with statutory requirements and the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which consider factors including the nature of the offense, acceptance of responsibility, and criminal history. The mandatory minimum term of seven years reflects Congress’s directive to impose enhanced penalties when firearms are brandished during violent crimes.

A guilty plea constitutes an admission of the charged conduct and eliminates the need for trial proceedings. Final sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

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