The 41st annual Red River Memorial Day Motorcycle Rally near Taos turned deadly when a shooting between rival biker gangs left three people dead and others injured.
Court documents revealed the shooting, involving the Badidos and Waterdogs biker gangs, erupted over a wedding photo that showed members of the Waterdogs and another gang called the Mongols socializing together at the event. Apparently, the Bandidos were mad at the Waterdogs for associating with the Mongols in their territory.
So far, Jacob Castillo, 30, of Rio Rancho is now charged with murder. Matthew Jackson, 39, of Texas, is charged with unlawful carrying of a firearm in a liquor establishment, and Christopher Garcia, 41, of Texas, was charged with possession of cocaine. Garcia and Jackson pleaded not guilty to their charges in district court.
The deceased individuals have been identified as Anthony Silva, 26 of Los Lunas, Randy Sanchez, 46, of Albuquerque, and Damian Breaux, 46, of Socorro. All are believed to be associated with the biker gangs.
The annual event is normally the highlight of Memorial Day weekend for the community. It attracts more than 28,000 bikers from around the nation, filling the town with a weekend of live music, food, and fun. It’s also a huge retail weekend for local vendors, who spend much of their own income preparing for what should have been a long weekend.
But vendors and visitors were left uneasy after the shooting prompting organizers to cancel the rally on Sunday, the day after the shooting. It became a financial setback for those expecting big sales, especially on the holiday
Hollie Gray has attended the event for 39 years, selling leather and other items from her company Antelope Creek Leather. Sales were brisk until the shooting began sending people into a panic.
“We were having a really good day,” Gray told KRQE. “We opened at about 9:30, and we had customers coming in just steady all day.”
When the shooting began people began rushing into her tent for safety.