Just east of Helper on Highway 6 on Sept. 25, an incident occurred with a 39-year-old local citizen in which a shotgun was pointed from the window of a moving vehicle.
The man in question, Brandon Joseph Hugh Sanchez, has been known as a mass shooter sympathizer to local authorities. According to multiple witnesses, Sanchez threatened motorists on the highway when he chased a vehicle after he was observed racking the slide of the pump action shotgun.
Though he was reported as returning home following this, Sanchez then left once more on a side-by-side ATV and shot at a pickup truck that had a married couple with their seven-year-old child inside. According to authorities, Sanchez first forced the vehicle off of the road by driving the side-by-side at them.
A shot did strike the rear of the pickup, with the driver stating he witnessed Sanchez chamber another round and fire a second shot.
Upon returning home a second time with the shotgun in question, Sanchez was apprehended by local law enforcement. Sanchez briefly struggled with officers as they were placing him in the handcuffs but was taken into custody following negotiations.
Sanchez is known as a considerable risk to not only the community, but himself. He made many statements regarding still wishing to murder someone and has access to multiple firearms.
He was charged on Sept. 30 in the Seventh District Court with three counts of attempted murder, six counts of aggravated assault, discharging a firearm from a vehicle, interfering with an arresting officer and two counts of reckless driving. These charges are second and third degree felonies as well as class B misdemeanors.