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AZ Local Minuteman Leader Arrested in Double Homicide

Shwawna Ford, the National Executive Director of a local the Minuteman American Defense group (M.A.D.) has been arrested for a double killing, that of a 9 year old and her father, during a home invasion last month.

According to authorities, Bush, [MAD leader Shawna] Forde, and Gaxiola broke into the home of the Flores family just after midnight on May 30th. At the time, the mother, father and daughter were home. The invaders reportedly shot the three members of the Flores family, killing the father, Raul, and the daughter, Brisenia. The invaders then left the scene.[More...]

The mother survived the shooting, called police, and found a gun. Sheriff Dupnik says the three returned moments later to make sure everyone was dead. At that point, the mother shot and injured Bush, and the three fled the scene.....Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik says, "Jason Bush was in fact the shooter of all three of these people under orders from Ms. Forde."

According to the groups' website, it targets drug traffickers and the undocumented, but does not do home invasions or resort to violence. According to the news video above, the group's operations director, who goes by the name "gunny" on the website and rants quite a bit, is alleged shooter Jason Bush. Sheriff Dupnik says:

"The husband who was murdered has a history in 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 possiblity of drugs."

Sheriff Dupnik adds, "To just kill a 9-year old girl because she could be a potential witness, to me, is one of the most despicable acts I have ever heard of."

Forde's group is not formally connected to the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps or the Minutemen project run by Chris Simcox and James Gilchrist.

Bush is recovering from a gunshot wound he allegedly received during the shooting in a hospital in Kingman, AZ.

The Sheriff is understandably upset at these horrible murders, but he needs to button his lip and avoid prejudicing a potential jury pool and possibly jeopardizing any potential future conviction with statements like these:

"If you look at her history closely, and you know what we know, she is at best a pyschopath," says Sheriff Dupnik referring to Forde during a press conference Friday.

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  • Display: Sort:
    Already read about it. (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Fabian on Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 04:12:49 PM EST
    I'm waiting for additional information.  Some things are still unclear.  

    Seems like a good idea ... (none / 0) (#1)
    by Peter G on Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 02:53:29 PM EST
    I think I'll add a statement to my website that I don't participate in home invasions or resort to violence.  That could be a helpful clarification.

    There's some more background (none / 0) (#2)
    by jnicola on Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 02:59:09 PM EST
    on her here. I can see where the Sheriff is coming from, but in his position, yes, he needs to quieten down about it.

    On a wider basis it's difficult to read her personal history and not feel some level of pity for her. She never had much of a chance. And given the number of warning signs that she would end up in this sort of place, it's utterly infuriating that there seems to have been no real effort from anyone to intervene and prevent this happening.

    They sure have a lot of info (none / 0) (#17)
    by MyLeftMind on Mon Jun 15, 2009 at 10:31:33 AM EST
    on her childhood crimes.

    Parent
    You wish. (none / 0) (#4)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 03:24:29 PM EST


    my goodness! (none / 0) (#5)
    by cpinva on Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 03:31:08 PM EST
    ms. forde is quite a piece of work. you know someone's a problem, when even groups like the minutemen don't want anything to do with them.

    it's time for the local-yokel sheriff to shut up, finish the investigation, and let this play out in court.

    Lumping everyone (none / 0) (#9)
    by Cards In 4 on Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 06:38:41 PM EST
    in a group with criminals that may or may not be members of that group is dangerous.  

    John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, hardly fringe members of academia, probably played right into every belief van Brunn had.  What do you make of the Arkansas shooter - are Muslims outraged by American soldiers killing Muslims in Iraq a big voting bloc of republicans?  Where is the evidence that Roeder watched O'Reilly before people went after him with their pitchforks?  Was Bernie Madoff a GOP suporter or should all financial crooks be blamed on the Democrats?

    This woman sounds like a nut case that the national minutemen organization saw and kept her out of their group.

    Unless there is evidence, lets not hang people exercising their free speech rights with the acts of criminals.

    Wow!!!! (none / 0) (#12)
    by Steve M on Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 01:21:17 AM EST
    John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, hardly fringe members of academia, probably played right into every belief van Brunn had.

    Send that comment straight to the Hall of Fame, folks.  Sheesh.

    Parent

    Excellent (none / 0) (#15)
    by eric on Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 08:42:20 AM EST
    use of this week's right-wing talking points.  Bravo!

    Parent
    why call him a "minuteman" leader? (none / 0) (#10)
    by diogenes on Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 09:25:05 PM EST
    Why does the leader read what it is if he is not connected to the organizations we know as minutemen?  Next thing you'll call an IRA terrorist a "Republican".

    let's not insult (none / 0) (#11)
    by cpinva on Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 11:43:00 PM EST
    Next thing you'll call an IRA terrorist a "Republican".

    IRA terrorists, they at least know what they're doing.

    Parent

    Horrible event (none / 0) (#16)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Jun 14, 2009 at 09:04:16 AM EST
    I'm pulling for the public leaders to be able to rein in their emotions so justice can be served.  It is a horrible horrible event though.