6/28/16 11:06 PM
Shooting in front of Navajo County Superior Court leaves two dead and one injured.

HOLBROOK, AZ – A dispute stemming from a custody hearing Tuesday afternoon led to a shooting in front of the Navajo County Superior Court. The incident left two victims dead and one injured with a wound to the leg.

The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Show Low, Holbrook and Snowflake-Taylor Police Departments, quickly responded to the scene and locked down Navajo County’s Holbrook Complex.

“This was an unfortunate situation, but our top objective was to protect the employees and citizens inside the building,” Navajo County Sheriff KC Clark said. “A collaborative effort of local law enforcement searched the vicinity of the complex until the suspect was found. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.”

The lockdown was lifted after the suspect was apprehended without incident on the south side of the complex. No employees were hurt during the incident.

“First and foremost, I would like to extend our condolences, our thoughts and our prayers to the victims’ families at this most difficult time,” Navajo County Superior Court Presiding Judge Michala Ruechel said. “We are grateful to law enforcement, court related personnel and first responders who quickly arrived to render aid to the victims. This awful event has rocked this tight-knit community, but we will continue to work every day to ensure that our courts are a safe place for all.”

The Navajo County Homicide Task Force has taken over the investigation. Members of local law enforcement are working through the night.

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For more information:
Contact Adam Wolfe
Navajo County Communications Manager
Office: (928) 524-4165
adam.wolfe@navajocountyaz.gov

***** UPDATE ******

Good news! Joshua was found and had been returned home!!

6/28/16 9:45 PM
Missing 12 Year Old Lakeside Boy – Joshua Richardson height 5′, weight 90 lbs, last seen near his residence around 2:00 PM this afternoon, wearing gray t shirt, dark blue jeans and brown boots
IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT JOSHUA RICHARDSON
CALL Navajo County Sheriff’s Office-928-524-4050

The monsoons have arrived, and the Cedar Fire received rainfall on Sunday. The fire was 75% contained by this (Monday) morning. More rain is expected today and demobilization of forces is proceeding rapidly. While 554 firefighters are working on the fire this morning, only the Team itself will remain by Tuesday afternoon. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will assume command of the fire at 6 A.M. Tuesday.

Southwest Incident Management Team #2 (SWIMT2) extends our heartfelt appreciation to the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the communities around the fire, and to our cooperators for the excellent working relationships, the support and encouragement, and the effective collaboration we experienced as we worked on the Cedar Fire.

This will be the final Cedar Fire update from SWIMT2. Thank you for welcoming us into your community.