On the evening of June 13, 2024, a verbal dispute between two roommates would end in the tragic death of 52-year-old Antonio Nez, a Hispanic male. The events unfolded at a residence located at 1591B N.M. 264 in Gallup, New Mexico, where Nez and his roommate, Henry McCarthy, 36, had been consuming alcoholic beverages. The argument between the two men escalated, culminating in McCarthy allegedly firing at least one round from a rifle, which struck and fatally wounded Nez.
The following
day, on June 14, 2024, the McKinley County Sheriff's Office received a call about a male with a head injury at the residence. Upon their arrival, deputies were given consent to enter the home by the homeowner. Inside one of the bedrooms, they discovered Nez lying facedown near the doorway with evident signs of head trauma. As they continued to clear the residence, they found a second male, later identified as McCarthy, lying underneath a blanket in the same room. A rifle was also observed in the bedroom.
The Office of the Medical Investigator pronounced Antonio Nez deceased at the scene. Henry McCarthy was immediately detained by the deputies. Following an investigation by the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau, McCarthy was arrested and is facing serious charges, including 1st Degree Murder and unlawfully and knowingly discharging a firearm at a dwelling or occupied building. The case remains under investigation by the New Mexico State Police.
