A man from Shiprock, New Mexico, has been charged in federal court for allegedly firing multiple gunshots at two people during a domestic dispute on the Navajo Nation. According to court documents, Bryson Chee, 42, who is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, arrived at a residence in Shiprock on August 1, 2025. Chee had reportedly been drinking and acting erratically when he arrived as a passenger with two others.
After exiting the vehicle, Chee is accused of retrieving a handgun and pointing it at the other occupants before opening fire as they attempted to leave. A witness and a child nearby took cover while shots were fired. Investigators recovered several spent shell casings and confirmed that bullets struck the victims’ vehicle.
Officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department located Chee soon after the incident. He allegedly ignored police commands and threw a backpack containing a loaded handgun down an embankment before being taken into custody.
Chee faces charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He will remain in custody until his trial date is set. If convicted, Chee could face between 10 years to life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison stated: “An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.” Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, joined Ellison in announcing the charges.
The case was investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with help from both the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack E. Burkhead is prosecuting.
