Staff Reports
Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for 27-year-old Kasey Charles Benally following a July 29 drive-by shooting at the Pit Shop Body Shop that left a woman injured.
According to an affidavit filed in McKinley County Magistrate Court by Gallup Police Department Detective Chavo Chischilly, officers responded to the auto repair shop at 2701 Boyd Avenue around 1:30 pm on July 29 after receiving reports of a shooting.
Upon arrival, first responders found a Pit Shop employee suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck. The woman was reportedly working at her desk inside the office when multiple rounds struck the building, passing through a window behind her computer screen. She was initially taken to a local hospital before being airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital for treatment.
Surveillance footage and witness statements gathered near the scene pinpointed a silver 2012 Toyota Tacoma with wide tires driving east on Boyd Avenue as four shots rang out. Investigators located four spent .45-caliber casings on the roadway.
The incident kicked off a multi-agency manhunt spanning federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement.
Later that evening, a New Mexico State Police officer spotted the suspect vehicle near Patton Drive and Highway 66. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the truck fled at high speeds, forcing law enforcement to terminate the initial pursuit due to public safety risks. Shortly after, Navajo Nation Police encountered the same truck speeding along Highway 1149 in Pinedale, N.M., where one passenger fled on foot before the vehicle sped away again.
Law enforcement later located the registered truck parked at a residence off Navajo Route 9 in Brimhall, N.M. After obtaining permission from Navajo Nation prosecutors, the vehicle was impounded and searched. Inside the truck, detectives recovered a temporary state identification card bearing Benally’s name, along with a matching spent .45-caliber casing under the passenger seat. Testing conducted by the Crime Gun Intelligence Center on July 31 confirmed the shell casing found inside the truck was fired from the exact same gun as the casings recovered from the crime scene.
Investigators also reviewed social media activity tied to the incident. Family members confirmed to police that an Instagram video captured during the police chase showed Benally driving the vehicle. Additionally, court documents state that on the evening of July 30, Benally posted a photo on his Instagram account captioned, “Yes I got away.”
Family members reported that they encouraged Benally to turn himself in to the Gallup Police Department on the evening of July 30, but he jumped from their vehicle on the east side of Gallup and fled on foot.
As of July 31, Benally’s whereabouts remain unknown. He has a warrant out for his arrest Anyone with information on his location is encouraged to contact the Gallup Police Department or local authorities.
Benally is facing charges of shooting at an inhabited dwelling (resulting in great bodily harm), conspiracy, tampering with evidence, and aggravated feeling a law enforcement officer.
