APD detectives arrested Nathan Sheckler overnight for Monday’s shooting death of his own brother, Travis Sheckler, following a fight at their northeast heights home. The murder happened on February 26th, 2024 at around 2:00PM.
APD officers responded to reports of a shooting on Monday at 2:20 p.m. in the area of 7100 Vivian Dr., N.E., near Louisiana Blvd. and San Antonio Dr NE.
A criminal complaint says, the mother told officers that an argument between her two adult sons escalated into a physical fight. She later told homicide detectives that she saw Travis 35, grab Nathan, 28, by the neck and saw him punching him. Shortly after the fighting stopped, the mother heard Nathan yelling at Travis, to leave his bedroom. She said Travis walked out of Nathan’s room and she heard Nathan say, “Leave me alone.” Nathan walked out after Travis and he was holding a rifle in his right hand. The mother said Nathan raised the rifle upward and pointed it toward Travis. He fired a shot as Travis was turning away.
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On Nathan Sheckler’s social media he posted at least five handguns and three AR-15 style rifles in a video story. Sheckler’s publicly available social media also showed him around alcohol, drugs, and guns. If he went through the proper procedures of buying a gun with an ATF Form 4473, he would have have had to admit drug use. Saying yes to those questions would disqualify him from the application process. It is unclear what Sheckler wrote on that piece of paper.
The mother told homicide detectives that the Travis had a history of mental illness and abused drugs to “self-medicate”. She also said Travis often expressed his anger toward Nathan, and Nathan pointed and fired his rifle at Travis before in the past and had fired it into the air to scare Travis away.
According to a criminal complaint, after the shooting the mother said she saw Travis hunched over and walking toward the laundry room, where he collapsed. She said Nathan ran over to Travis and asked him if he was OK. Nathan then told his mother to call 911.
APD civilian spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said in an email that officers responded most recently to an incident on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, in which Travis was identified as the aggressor. Police were going to issue a summons for Travis.
His brother killed him before a summons was ever submitted to the New Mexico Courts system.
Following the shooting, Nathan fled the scene in a gold Buick sedan. He later sent a text message to his mother, saying he was sorry and he wished the incident did not happen.
Homicide detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Nathan Sheckler. He was located overnight at the Siegel Suites motel, located at 2500 University Blvd., N.E. He was taken into custody. Sheckler was booked into the Metro Detention Center on an open count of murder.
