“Arizona Rancher Takes a Stand: Fires Warning Shots After Armed Men Point AK-47 at Him”
George Alan Kelly, a 73-year-old Arizona rancher, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a Mexican migrant on his ranch in Kino Springs. Despite pleading to the judge to reduce his $1 million bond so he could go home to take care of his wife, Kelly remains in the Santa Cruz County jail.
Reports suggest the decedent, Gabriel Cuen-Butimea, had a history of illegally crossing into the United States and multiple deportations. In defense of his actions, Kelly’s lawyers have said the elderly man fired warning shots after seeing a group of men dressed in camouflaged clothing point an AK-47 directly at him. Even though the rancher had taken precautions to shoot above their heads, he soon discovered the deceased man after going to check on his horse.
Kelly had surrounded his ranch with fencing and ‘no trespassing’ and ‘private property’ signs, and had called the U.S. Border Patrol ranch liaison to report what he had seen and request help. However, the radio dispatch to the Border Patrol that was sent out at 2:40 pm did not reflect the fact that the men were armed, but rather that they had been seen in the area