Zuni Man Sentenced for Shooting into an Occupied Vehicle

ALBUQUERQUE - A Zuni man was sentenced to 96 months in prison for firing a shotgun into an occupied vehicle and seriously injuring a passenger.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents on March 20, 2025, Shane Austin Loretto, 32, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, fired a shotgun at the car John Doe was a passenger in, with intent to do bodily harm. John Doe was hit in the face and neck with multiple pellets and required medical treatment.

Law enforcement tied Loretto to the shooting through witness statements and subsequently located the shotgun and ammunition in a safe inside a shed adjacent to Loretto's residence. During a subsequent interview, Loretto claimed he had heard about the shooting but did not know where the gunshot came from.

Loretto pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Upon his release from prison, Loretto will be subject to three years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.