MILAN, N.M. –
Clay Street is a typically peaceful area in the Village of Milan, but in the afternoon of March 27 a shooting disrupted the comfort. Milan Police Department responded quickly and arrested Nicholas Riley for allegedly shooting into his own home while his daughters were inside.
Just before 7 p.m. a caller alerted police to a possible shooting, saying that they heard gunshots in the distance. MPD made its way to Lava Street, searching for signs of a shooting, when they were flagged down by a pedestrian who alerted them to a shooting that took place just down the road on Clay Street.
Officer Richard Aragon of MPD located the house and was able to determine the shooter had fired into the girl’s room using an AR-15 style rifle. According to a report, there were two minor children in the house at the time.
During the course of their investigation, MPD was able to determine five shots were fired at the house, with four bullets impacting the building, one of which penetrated the wall and struck inside a child’s room.
According to MPD, the two minor children were inside the home at the time and were on the ground taking shelter from the shooting. While she was taking cover, a bullet came through the room just above her head.
As more law enforcement agents from New Mexico State Police, Cibola County Sheriff’s Office and Milan Police Department arrived, Officer Aragon heard shouting come from a neighbor property. An unnamed New Mexico State Police Officer assisted Officer Aragon to check on the shouting where they found a man lying next to a fence post, he was stuck. Asking the man his name, officers discovered that he was Nicholas Riley.
Officers led Riley out of the neighbor’s property and near the scene, through witness interviews officers learned that Riley allegedly shot an AR-15 rifle at the house. Despite determining he was the shooter; officers could not locate the rifle. Milan Police Chief Carl Ustupski went to the Cibola County Correctional Center, where Riley was being held after being arrested by MPD. After a short conversation with Riley, connecting with him on a level about protecting children, Riley allegedly told Chief Ustupski where he could locate the rifle.
Chief Ustupski quickly located the rifle, next to a child’s play set. “The firearm was still in fire mode and one round was in the chamber,” Chief Ustupski’s report on the situation reads, “it should be noted, I noticed several toys near where the firearm was located.”
Riley was arrested for the shooting. In the American justice system, all people are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.