Alleged Little Water, NM shooter familiar with weapons

LITTLE WATER, N.M.

According to posts and photographs on Facebook, alleged gunman Justin Fowler, 24, from Little Water, N.M., about 20 miles south of Shiprock, N.M., was familiar with weapons and knew how to survive in the wilderness.

Shiprock police were called to the scene of a domestic violence incident in Littlewater, N.M., sometime Thursday afternoon. A single officer responded and found a male holding his family hostage with a AR-15 assault rifle, according to President Ben Shelly’s spokesperson Rick Abasta. ​

About 10 p.m., police caught up to Fowler as he was about to head over Buffalo Pass, in Red Valley/Cove, Ariz. Gunfire was exchanged, in which he killed one police officer and injured a second. Fowler was killed in the shootout.
Before his profile was taken down at about 10 a.m. on Friday, the Times was able to retrieve photographs of Fowler posing with a rifle that he may have used in the shootout with police.

On Monday March 16, Fowler posted a comment along with an illustrated photo of a child holding a gun.

“My lil ones have their bb gun right now as I did,” Fowler wrote. “And will have my ar-15 when they get older …and shotgun and handguns.”

In a Facebook post on Feb. 17, Fowler posted another comment.

“Yesterday went up to the mountain to get woods … just ended out going for a hike and just had my at and 45 n 9mm,” Fowler posted. “Wish I could have stayed up there are just had some MRE’s vegetable lasagne.”

​The names of the officers were not immediately available.

Times reporter Cindy Yurth also contributed to this story.

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