Emery R. Yazzie, a 33-year-old male and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, had a passion for collecting jerseys of famous rappers and team caps, and he spent time writing rap lyrics. Born in Zuni, New Mexico, he was a resident of Ramah and had attended Pine Hill High School. His life, however, came to an abrupt and violent end on the morning of December 22, 2023, in the small community of Pinehill, New Mexico, a place that would become the scene of a devastating family tragedy.
The events of that day would not only take Emery’s life but would also shatter his family forever.
The violence began inside the family home when Emery's older brother, 37-year-old Ellery Brent Yazzie, came downstairs with a holstered firearm. Following a verbal argument, Ellery confronted his sister, threatening to shoot her and the rest of the family. He then carried out his threat, opening fire and fatally shooting his father, Elmer Begay Yazzie, and his brother, Emery. The rampage did not end there. Ellery then turned the gun on his sister, shooting her approximately six times and causing life-threatening injuries. He also fired at his mother as she tried to crawl to safety on the kitchen floor. Both the mother and sister survived the horrific attack. After the shooting, Ellery went upstairs for another firearm and more ammunition before returning and turning the gun on himself in a failed suicide attempt.
When officers from the Ramah Navajo Police Department arrived at the residence, they discovered a grim scene: Emery and his father were deceased, and Ellery was alive with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The investigation was handled by the Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI with assistance from the Ramah Navajo Police Department. Ellery Brent Yazzie was taken into custody and faced federal charges for the murders and assaults. He ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of assault, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. As a result of a plea agreement, he was sentenced to 27 and a half years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
