Civil suit settled in shooting of Native American activist at protest of Spanish conquistador statue

By MORGAN LEE
Associated Press

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A settlement has been reached in a civil lawsuit seeking damages from a 23-year-old man and his parents in the shooting of a Native American activist in northern New Mexico amid confrontations about a statue of a Spanish conquistador and aborted plans to reinstall it in public. The settlement was disclosed Tuesday in court documents. The shooting in September 2023 severely wounded Jacob Johns of Spokane, Washington, and set off chaos at an outdoor gathering over canceled plans to install a bronze likeness of conquistador Juan de Oñate. Johns sought damages from Ryan Martinez as well as his parents on accusations they overlooking disturbing behavior. Martinez has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder.