Accidental shooting ends in death in Taos

TAOS — A 19-year-old man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after police say he accidentally shot and killed his grandfather Monday while they were driving to a shooting range.

Alonzo “Rocky” Martínez, 62, was taken to Holy Cross Medical Center in Taos and was pronounced dead upon arrival.

According to a statement from the Taos Police Department, Rocky Martínez and his grandson, Jonah Martínez, were driving southbound on Salazar Road around 5 p.m. Monday, on their way to “engage in pistol target practice,” when the younger man was “manipulating a pistol that he believed to be unloaded and safe.”

The pistol discharged, striking the older man on the right side of his abdomen.

An investigation by Taos police “did not reveal any evidence to suggest this death was an intentional killing,” but determined the cause to be accidental, and “resulting from negligence or carelessness.”

Court documents indicate Jonah Martínez was handling a Ruger handgun and “accidentally placed his finger on the trigger while racking the slide of the gun back and forth, causing the gun to fire.”

Martínez expressed extreme remorse to police officers and appeared “very distraught,” reports said.

Martínez was released on a $5,000 unsecured appearance bond on the conditions that he not handle firearms, not possess or sell drugs, notify the court of any address change and attend counseling.

This story first appeared in The Taos News, a sister publication of the Santa Fe New Mexican.