Shawna Forde, Minutemen Leader, Arrested In Double Killing In Arizona

PHOENIX — Two of three people arrested in a southern Arizona home invasion that left a little girl and her father dead had connections to a Washington state anti-illegal immigration group that conducts border watch activities in Arizona.

Jason Eugene Bush, 34, Shawna Forde, 41, and Albert Robert Gaxiola, 42, have been charged with two counts each of first-degree murder and other charges, said Sheriff Clarence Dupnik of Pima County, Ariz.

The trio are alleged to have dressed as law enforcement officers and forced their way into a home about 10 miles north of the Mexican border in rural Arivaca on May 30, wounding a woman and fatally shooting her husband and their 9-year-old daughter. Their motive was financial, Dupnik said.

"The husband who was murdered has a history of being involved in narcotics and there was an anticipation that there would be a considerable amount of cash at this location as well as the possibility of drugs," Dupnik said.

Forde is the leader of Minutemen American Defense, a small border watch group, and Bush goes by the nickname "Gunny" and is its operations director, according to the group's Web site. She is from Everett, Wash., has recently been living in Arizona and was once associated with the better known and larger Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

A statement attributed to officers of Forde's group and posted on its Web site on Saturday extended condolences to the victims' families and said the group doesn't condone such acts and will cooperate with law enforcement.

"This is not what Minutemen do," said member Chuck Stonex, who responded to an e-mail from The Associated Press sent through the Web site. "Minutemen observe, document and report. This is nothing more than a cold-hearted criminal act, and that is all we want to say."

The assailants planned to leave no one alive, Dupnik said at a press conference in Tucson on Friday. He said Forde was the ringleader.

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"This was a planned home invasion where the plan was to kill all the people inside this trailer so there would be no witnesses," Dupnik said. "To just kill a 9-year-old girl because she might be a potential witness to me is just one of the most despicable acts that I have heard of."

Dupnik said Forde continued working through Friday to raise a large amount of money to make her anti-illegal immigrant operation more sophisticated.

Forde denied involvement as she was led from sheriff's headquarters.

"No, I did not do it," she said. "I had nothing to do with it."

Gaxiola also denied involvement; Bush was arrested at a Kingman, Ariz., hospital where he was being treated for a leg wound he allegedly received when the woman who survived the attack managed to get a gun and fire back.

Killed were 9-year-old Brisenia Flores and her 29-year-old father, Raul Junior Flores. The name of the wounded woman who survived the attack hasn't been released.

Forde is well known in the anti-illegal immigration community, said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University-San Bernardino.

"She's someone who even within the anti-immigration movement has been labeled as unstable," Levin said. "She was basically forced out of another anti-immigrant group, the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, and then founded her own organization."

Stonex, of Alamagordo, N.M., said he met Forde while on an Arizona border watch operation last fall, and liked her despite her reputation in the Minutemen community.

"I know she's always had sort of a checkered past but I take people for what I see and not what I hear," the 57-year-old said.

She recruited him to start a new chapter in New Mexico, but was secretive about her group or its members. Stonex said he didn't know how to recruit for a chapter and never did.

He said Forde called him on the day of the attack while he was visiting Arizona and asked him to bring bandages to an Arivaca home because Bush had been wounded. Stonex said it appeared Bush had a relatively minor gunshot wound, which he treated.

He said Forde and Bush told him Bush been wounded by a smuggler who shot at him while the group were patrolling the desert.

Stonex said he didn't suspect that might not be the case until was contacted by a deputy on Saturday about their alleged involvement in the crime.

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On the Net:

Minuteman American Defense: http://minutemenamericandefense.org

(This version CORRECTS ADDS new graf 7, 17-21, with comments and quotes from group member. SUBS 3rd graf to ADD locator. corrects spelling of Dupnik thruout. ADDS byline, CHANGES dateline.)

Comments

[Grannyover70]

We have a report on the increase in the Arian Nationalistic movement in the U.S. and their increasing violence. Today I read the movement is increasing in Europe. As Hitler did and at other times in History ,when economic times become difficult, the attempt to rise to power and take control is through convincing the people that one or more minority group/groups are the reason for all of our problems. This also takes peoples minds off the real reasons for the state of affairs which is more likely due to the greed of the elite and people in power. The goal is to create fear.
There are also forces that through greed help to create the chaos in the economy in other countries that leads people to try to immigrate. It will be very important for us to be vigilant and learn the agenda of the people we nominate and elect to power. We must always ask the question of who they are, what they really want, and what is their real agenda when people foster hate and try to subvert our minds.
This type of nationalism leads to an election of a Dictator who is just corrupt or who is a religious fanatic.

[Mike169]

When the going gets tough the goofy go Nazi!

[OkieIntellectual]

That's good! :)

[b1rd67]

"This type of nationalism leads to an election of a Dictator who is just corrupt or who is a religious fanatic."

Which is how Bush got RE-elected.... be afraid of the terrorists, I'm the only one who can keep you safe from the axis of evil!

[One more Thing]

This type of nationalism is also good for boosting the nn r aa membership numbers.

[carljr]

I think we all knew where the vigilante border movement would wind up in a nation full of fearful people who own guns. it was only a matter of time before these folks decided that the time had come to take righteous vengeance on America's enemies.

[whitehawk]

America was great until Republicans and their Wall Street friends destroyed it. they destroyed the neighbors beside them with their bluster and threats. America is not a better country than others, perhaps, not as good as many. Crime is so prevelant and so 'ordinary' fact of life in America. 31,000 deaths per year from guns. Consider this; America's population not mature enough to have weapons, not responsible enough to have weapons. "Where is the outrage"????

[whitehawk]

I think this Republican Party "exceptionalism" theory has absolutely destroyed America's reputation, the way the Repub's take that characteristic is different than the true meaning of what the founding father's would have seen America's opportunities.....and what 'gratefulness' true patriots of America take that meaning.

Repub's think it's "better than any one else in the universe, more righteous, more godly, more deserving, when that is absolutely untrue. This has led to this 'holier than thou' murder spree of radicals within the Republican Party carrying out their apparent 'god given right' to destroy anything their radical ideology disagrees with. Shameful, shameful display of evil in America.

[normathumb]

American exceptionalism = We are the chosen people and this is the promised land.

[2bad]

Just one more reason the not so far right republican christians identify so much with the Israelis!

[mikeb302000]

Nasty people, for sure. In their typical righteous superior way they justify even murder. Imagine the abuses we never hear about.

[We-Are-The-Ones]

Criminals, wrapping themselves in the flag while killing a child.

[One more Thing]

They were just exercising their 2nd Ammendment Rights!

[zizizzi]

Really??? Where does it say in the 2nd Ammendment that you have the right to kill innocent children??? Please show me that part.

[plaidsportcoat]

""I know she's always had sort of a checkered past but I take people for what I see and not what I hear," the 57-year-old said."

more like - not what they really are!

[JohnnieBravo]

I hope Gunny likes getting bent over in prison. San Quentin mexican prisoners will be honored to bugger Gunny with or without his medals.

[plaidsportcoat]

You can be sure lots of prison guards are white supremacists!! And he will get top treatment, are you dum?

[RevRayGreen]

"We are honored to have Gunny aboard. He served 6 tours over seas, where he has several medals. He received a Purple heart, Silver and Bronze star, Combat Infantry Badge and a Presidential citation for his actions in the Special Forces. He will be in charge of all operations along the Southern Border, assisting in command decisions, Recon and Tactical training. Gunny will be permanently located at MAD'S new 40 acre Base Camp, located somewhere on the Southern Border"

next tour in prison POS 4 life

[RevRayGreen]

yep, she was, and say was, a tea-bagger (pics)

http://minutemenamericandefense.org/pages/teaparty.htm

Maybe she'll try and rally the cons on the 4th

"I plan to post more comments in the future, but this is it for now.
-Gunny"

"Hannity: Bloodshed south of the border in spiraling out of control and the effect is being felt, right here in America... Mexican drug cartels are waging an increasingly bloody battle for control of smuggling routes into the United States. ...The violence does not stay south of the border. "

[RevRayGreen]

"Ringed by SUVs, a handful of retirees sit around a table in front of a caravan, most of them armed. They are preparing for a midday barbecue, killing time until nightfall. We're taken into the caravan to register our passports. On the fridge, a bumper sticker says "Vote out Osama, Obama, and Clinton's Mama".

"We've created a movement in this country that's like wildfire," Shawna tells us as we sit outside in canvas chairs. The Minutemen started patrolling the Mexican-American border for illegal immigrants in 2005, drawing fire from groups that claimed they were dangerous white supremacists. While Governor Schwarzenegger said they had done a "terrific job", President Bush condemned them as vigilantes. They currently have over 11,000 volunteers working along the border in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

"People out in the community have the impression that we are racist and that we're hurting people, which is just wrong," says Shawna. "The Minutemen have saved many lives in this desert. We offer aid, water, food, we get them support when we find them almost dying. Not one Minuteman has been brought up on charges, nor have they ever harmed anybody." Unless they find somebody in physical distress, they don't approach, but notify Border Patrol. "We do not apprehend them," she stresses. "

http://newmatilda.com/2008/10/16/americas-sleeping-giant-speaks-spanish

[whitehawk]

And what greatness has this man now, his medals worth nothing or his tours of duty, just another 'mad' radical with a chest full or iron.

[plaidsportcoat]

Yup - another whitesup remac isttrained up by our murican military. Great for the coming racewar.

[Mas]

Can you imagine the stories (reporting angles) the conservative blogs and media outlets would have been pushing? The twist would have been failed protection of citizens, how the administration is more concerned with reading the rights of enemies and less about protecting the American public. Can't you just hear the "sincere concern" from pol., foxnews folks, and the host of others from that side of the isle.

[Soapfan]

Too bad the Gov didn't have a report saying these kind of peeps are dangerous?

I fogot they do!

[knowhelpnow]

Will the right-wing talking heads start keeping score of how many of these wackos act out for them?

[whitehawk]

I heard there's many more of these wackjobs out there targeting illegal immigrants. What a shame this happens with such bravado, it's sick and inhuman. All of them need to be jailed for life, I mean all vigilante's in John McCain's state. Start doing something useful McCain, these people need protection. Grow up and act like a Senator.

[From the Raft]

Neither he nor Kyl will do anything about illegal immigration except see that nothing is done. They do not want a solution to the problem. They are the problem.

[jonmonbuckeye]

Fry her- and all the minutia men too.

[Nina28]

Guantanamo should hold these terrorists!

Smugly self righteous types who feel elite in picking out "non-whites" who they suspect are illegal when they are actually American immigrants and killing a child to boot.

Wasn't Tiller's killer also a member of the Minutemen militia?

[JLRoberson]

No, the Freemen. Who are otherwise in jail.