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Jacob Johns was among a group of people who prevented Ryan Martinez from reaching elders and children gathered just outside the doors leading to the Rio Arriba County Commission chambers in Española on Sept. 28, 2023. Martinez, carrying a concealed 9mm handgun, repeatedly tried to rush into an area where around 50 people were peacefully celebrating county officials’ decision to postpone resurrecting a statue of genocidal Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate.

Martinez shot Johns, a Hopi, Akimel O’odham activist from Washington, in the chest. Martinez then allegedly turned the gun on Malaya Peixinho, but the gun jammed, and he fled the scene. Martinez is being prosecuted for trying to murder Johns and assaulting Peixinho.



State prosecutors have also added a hate crime enhancement and a firearm enhancement to the charges against him. Last week and over the weekend, Johns returned to Northern New Mexico to put on a free art show including depictions of the incident and Martinez himself called “ Forward Movement .” The following interview with Johns, conducted at the show’s venue El Museo in Santa Fe, has been edited for clarity.

You can also listen to the full audio from the interview here: Austin Fisher: Why are you back here in New Mexico? Jacob Johns: I’m back here to do these shows. I had a lot of time with the folks who witnessed what took place on September 28, and a lot of the community members were really broken up and hurt about what took place. It brought .

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