Person killed at fair
Stabbing took place during Yeibichei

By Brian Hassler
Staff Writer

SHIPROCK — An unnamed person was stabbed and killed during the Shiprock Navajo Fair early Sunday during a Yeibichei.

Sources indicate that early Sunday morning, close to 4 a.m. according to one source, the victim was stabbed while ceremonies and singing were taking place at the Yeibichei.

Had the group been aware of the attack, it would have been forced to cease singing but the group continued to sing.

As a result of the attack, the case has been given to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the name of the victim hasn't been released yet.

"We are trying to locate the next of kin before we release the name or any of the details," said Bill Elwell, the FBI's media representative.

Elwell confirmed that the victim had died as a result of the stabbing and that the case was being investigated due to the unknown factors of the victim's death.

The 94th Shiprock Navajo Fair, which ran from Wednesday through Sunday, enjoyed success and benefited from large crowds throughout the weekend.

While Elwell declined to name the victim, the circumstances or what happened to the victim, fair board members confirmed that there had been an attack Sunday morning and that a person had been stabbed with a sharp object.

More information should be made available today.