Featured Self-defense claimed in Holtville shooting, murder Cliff Williams Cliff Williams Staff Writer Author email Feb 18, 2026 Feb 18, 2026 Updated 23 hrs ago Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Aaron Mays Aaron Mays admitted he shot Joel Whitus. What’s to be determined going forward is, was the shooting in self-defense.Mays made the admission to investigators in the minutes and hours after the shooting that he fired the shot that killed Whitus. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. kAm“x 5:5 E9:D[ :E H2D >6[ x D9@E 9:>[” |2JD E@=5 56AFE:6D 23@FE `d >:?FE6D 27E6C E96 D9@@E:?8 92AA6?65]k^AmkAm|2JD[ ab[ @7 t4=64E:4[ H2D 492C865 H:E9 >FC56C :? E96 :?4:56?E]k^AmkAmqFE :E’D H92E =65 FA E@ E96 D9@@E:?8 H96C6 |2JD :D >2<:?8 E96 D6=7\5676?D6 4=2:>] x?G6DE:82E@CD D2J E96 :?4:56?E H2D 42AEFC65 @? 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C6G:D:E E96 :DDF6 @7 3@?5 E96?]”k^Am Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Tags Crime Murder Mays Gun Self Defense Holtville Elmore County Sheriffs Office Cliff Williams Staff Writer Author email Follow Cliff Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? 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Cliff Williams Staff Writer Author email Follow Cliff Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today