Aztec shooting suspect arrested after rifle fire near FedEx building

More than 20 rifle shots rang out near the Federal Express building at 3000 Pepsi Way in Aztec, prompting a coordinated law enforcement response that ended with the arrest of Cyrus Williams-Price, 35, who was wanted on an active warrant. No one was injured in the shooting, but the morning gunfire raised immediate concern around one of Aztec’s busy commercial areas.

Aztec Police were called at 8:26 a.m. Thursday, June 5, after reports of shots fired from a wash near the building. When officers arrived, one reportedly saw Williams-Price in the wash. Police say he ran on foot, setting off a search that involved Aztec Police, Bloomfield Police and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also assisted in the apprehension and investigation.

Officers tracked the suspect to the corner of County Roads 3004 and 3002, where a man was seen in a flowing ditch before running to a home on County Road 3002 and going inside. According to the affidavit, Williams-Price took off his wet clothing, initially refused to come out and later disregarded verbal commands before a San Juan County Sheriff’s deputy took him into custody.

After officers obtained a search warrant, they say they found a black Samsonite bag with a rifle hidden under a sink, along with 23 spent .223-caliber casings and two metal magazines containing 40 rounds of .223 ammunition. Williams-Price was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, a third-degree felony in New Mexico, and negligent use of a deadly weapon, a misdemeanor.

The San Juan County Detention Center lists him as Cyrus Spencer Williams-Price, born Dec. 21, 1990, and gives an Aztec address. The case now centers on how a man already wanted by police was able to fire repeatedly near a commercial site before a multi-agency search brought the incident to a close. Detective K. Wood of the Aztec Police Department is asking anyone with information to call 505-334-7628.