An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Sept. 7, 2011

Nevada National Guard members killed, injured in shooting

By Nevada National Guard report

ARLINGTON, Va. - Three Nevada National Guard members have died and two are currently injured as a result of a random shooting at a local eatery Sept. 5 in Carson City, Nev.

Army Maj. Heath Kelly, Army Sgt. 1st Class Miranda McElhiney and Army Sgt. 1st Class Christian Riege died of wounds suffered during an apparent random shooting by a gunman who later killed himself.

Burks spoke of each Guard members who died.

“Major Heath Kelly was a decorated field artillery officer, husband and father who was the commander of the Joint Force Headquarters here in Carson City,” he said. “He served with the active duty Army’s Headquarters, Headquarters Company of 3rd Corps in Iraq from 2004 to 2005. Heath was an avid student of military history and was known for his dry sense of humor.”

“Sgt 1st Class Miranda McElhiney was a fast riser in our enlisted corps,” Burks said. “With military occupational specialties in medical, dental and human resources fields, she served Soldiers in several units for more than 13 years, always with a smile on her face.

“She also owned a small baking company and was famous in our headquarters for providing cupcakes for every promotion and celebration.”

“Sgt 1st Class Christian Riege was a Carson City resident who earned his combat spurs with the 1st of the 221st Cavalry in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010,” he said. “A 38-year-old father of three and a fitness buff, he also served in the U.S. Navy for two years before coming to the Guard.

“The tapestry of peoples’ rich lives is difficult to sum up in a few words, but their actions and our memories of them remain in our hearts.”

Burks said there are chaplains, grief counselors, and other resources assisting the families and loved ones of those injured and killed, and for Guard members affected by this tragedy as well.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group prepare dummies for a simulated casualty evacuation at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, July 17, 2025. The 108th Medical Company engaged in a weeklong field medical exercise to validate their readiness and elevate their medical and basic Soldier skills. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Christopher Booker)
Pennsylvania Guard Medics Simulate Chaos in Exercise
By Capt. Christopher Booker, | July 18, 2025
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Soldiers assigned to the Pennsylvania National Guard's 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group, are engaged in a comprehensive two-week field medical exercise here.The...

Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Maintenance Group and 152nd Logistics Readiness Squadron personnel load Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) equipment onto MAFFS #8, aircraft #554 at the Nevada Air National Guard Base on July 12, 2025. U.S. Northern Command activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) Aircraft, one from the 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in California. Two C-130 aircraft equipped with MAFFS and their associated personnel will support firefighting efforts in the Western United States. The 152nd Airlift Wing’s “High Rollers” and 146th Airlift Wing's “Hollywood Guard” report on July 14, 2025, and will be initially based out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Base in California and are anticipated to be in place through August 14, 2025.
Nevada Air Guard Wing Assists in Firefighting Efforts
By Senior Master Sgt. Paula Macomber, | July 18, 2025
RENO, Nev. – U.S. Northern Command has activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System Aircraft, one from the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of...

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, join Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the adjutant general of Texas, for an aerial assessment of flood-affected areas in Central Texas and to visit Guardsmen on duty supporting civil authorities with response efforts, Kerrville, Texas, July 15, 2025. To date, National Guard search and rescue operations, led by the Texas National Guard, have resulted in the rescue of more than 525 Texans. Hundreds of Guardsmen remain on mission to continue working with interagency partners in search and rescue and recovery operations.
Nordhaus, Raines see Heroism, Partnerships in Central Texas
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely, | July 18, 2025
KERRVILLE, Texas – Early on July 4, almost 30 inches of rain fell within hours across Central Texas’s Hill Country, surging the Guadalupe River and triggering catastrophic flash flooding.Within hours, Texas National Guard...