In a quiet home on Smithland Avenue in La Junta, Colorado, a devastating series of events unfolded on the night of June 11, 2024. Two-year-old Hispanic female, Xena Gabriella Martinez-King, was found shot, alongside her mother and younger brother. When police responded to the scene late that evening, they discovered a tragic murder-suicide that claimed four lives.
Xena, her one-year-old brother Xander Roy Martinez-King, and their mother, 24-year-old Rhyle King, were all victims of the
horrific incident. The suspected shooter has been identified as 30-year-old Andrew Chavez, Rhyle King's ex-husband. Friends of Rhyle King indicated that she had been trying to get away from her former husband and had just started to find happiness again. A neighbor also recounted that Rhyle had warned him about her ex-partner, stating he was not supposed to be at the residence.
Upon their arrival at the home, La Junta police officers found two adults and one child deceased from gunshot wounds. Xena's younger brother, Xander, was initially found alive and was transported to a Denver-area hospital, but he later succumbed to his injuries. The Otero County Coroner officially identified all four individuals who died. The investigation into the apparent murder-suicide is ongoing.
