Fatal Shooting of Tohono O’odham Tribal Member by US Border Patrol Under FBI Investigation

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Tohono O’odham Nation police are investigating the fatal shooting of a tribal member by U.S. Border Patrol agents in southern Arizona.

The incident took place on the Tohono O’odham reservation near Ajo on Thursday, 10 p.m., involving agents from the Ajo Border Patrol Station.

Customs and Border Protection officials have stated that their Office of Professional Responsibility is reviewing the incident, but no further information has been provided.

Tohono O’odham Nation’s Tribal Chairman, Ned Norris Jr., released a statement identifying Raymond Mattia as the victim, expressing condolences to his family and urging full consideration of all related facts as the investigation proceeds.

Tucson TV station KVOA reported that Mattia had called Border Patrol due to multiple migrants trespassing into his yard and requested assistance in removing them.

Mattia’s family claims he was shot for an unknown reason when he went outside upon seeing the agents. Meneger’s Dam community, where the shooting occurred, lies only a few miles from the U.S-Mexico border.