On a tragic Sunday afternoon, January 8, 2023, the life of Kade Riley Nichol, a 27-year-old White male from Prineville, Oregon, was cut short. The fatal encounter occurred at the Wild Horse Mesa Apartments, where Nichol was shot and killed. At the time, he was intoxicated and grieving the recent loss of a close friend.
Earlier in the day, Nichol had been sending text messages to 29-year-old Darrien Ruiz, a former friend.
Their friendship had soured in the preceding months due to a disagreement concerning Ruiz's relationship with Nichol's wife. Nichol had expressed his intention to fight Ruiz if he attended their mutual friend's upcoming funeral. Despite a friend's attempt to intervene, Nichol drove to Ruiz's apartment with the intent to confront him.
Upon arriving at the apartment complex, Nichol tried to lure Ruiz outside for a physical altercation. When Ruiz refused to come down to the parking lot, Nichol went up to the apartment and tried to force his way inside. An altercation ensued, during which Nichol punched Ruiz and pushed him back into the apartment, where Ruiz's girlfriend and 8-year-old daughter were present. In response to the assault, Ruiz fired his gun, striking Nichol once. Nichol then left the apartment and collapsed in the stairwell.
Law enforcement and emergency medical personnel found Nichol in the stairwell, but he was pronounced deceased at the scene. Darrien Ruiz was reported to be cooperative with the ensuing investigation. After the shooting, he locked his apartment door and asked his girlfriend to call 911. He was detained by the Prineville Police Department and the Crook County Sheriff's Office for questioning. Though a man was arrested in connection with the shooting, the Crook County District Attorney later stated that a grand jury would review the case.
