Raymond Mattia was a family man and a respected member of the Tohono O'odham Nation.
A man called border patrol officers when he saw a group of migrants trespassing in the yard of his Arizona home, his family said. He was fatally gunned down when authorities arrived, according to the Customs and Border Protection officials.
The family of Raymond Mattia, a respected tribal member of the Tohono O'odham community, and the tribal community at large is now calling for a thorough investigation.
"Nation member Raymond Mattia lost his life in the incident,” Tribal chairman Ned Norris Jr. said in a statement. "As the investigation proceeds, the Nation expects full consideration of all related facts of the incident and an appropriate and expeditious response from relevant public safety agencies.”
Mattia had been living on Tohono O’odham Nation reservation, in a village known as Menagers Dam in Arizona, a remote community just miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.
"He called to request for assistance because there were multiple illegal immigrants who had trespassed into his yard and he wanted assistance getting them out of his property,” a family member who wished to remain anonymous told KVOA.
When authorities arrived, family members said he had stepped outside to greet them when shots rang out, KVOA reported.
"I had heard all the gunshots like it was just a war. I just went into shock like I couldn't believe what I was hearing,” they said, claiming they were told Mattia had 38 shots fired at him, according to KVOA. “You know that’s excessive.”
A family friend told KVOA Mattia was a family man and a ceremony person who often practiced traditional hunting and traditional singing.
Tohono O'odham police, the FBI and the Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility are investigating.
