A Shiprock resident has been charged in federal court for allegedly firing multiple shots at two people during a domestic dispute on the Navajo Nation. Authorities say Bryson Chee, 42, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, arrived at a Shiprock residence on August 1, 2025. According to court documents, Chee had been drinking and was behaving erratically when he exited a vehicle with two others.
Chee is accused of retrieving a handgun and pointing it at the vehicle’s occupants before opening fire as they tried to drive away. A witness and a child reportedly took cover nearby while shots were fired. Investigators recovered spent shell casings from the scene and confirmed that bullets struck the victims’ car.
Officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department located Chee soon after the incident. He reportedly 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 as well as 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, he could receive 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.
