Family mourns, neighborhood shaken after deadly shooting in West Phoenix
PHOENIX - Family members are in mourning, while people in a West Phoenix neighborhood are still shaken following a shooting that killed four people, including the suspect, on March 16.
Related: Man dead after shooting grandparents and relatives at Phoenix home, police say
According to earlier reports, the incident happened in a home near 59th Avenue and Camelback Road. Crews at the scene found five people who had been shot. Police say the shooting began at around 6:45 p.m.
A man and woman, identified by police on March 17 as 66-year-old Delia Noriega and 62-year-old Isaias Tovar Sr., died at the scene. Another victim, identified as 31-year-old Isaias Tovar Jr., also died at the hospital.
The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Gilbert Gonzalez, also died at the hospital, according to police.
One person, identified as a 19-year-old, suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, police say.
"The evidence indicates that Gilbert had been drinking and making suicidal statements prior to shooting his grandparents (Isaias Sr. and Delia), his uncle (Isaias Jr), and another family member who survived. At some point during the shooting, one of the family members returned fire, striking Gilbert," read a portion of a statement by Phoenix Police.
Neighborhood reacts
On March 17, family members were heard crying at the scene of the incident, while the nerves of people living in the area are still rattled.
"I heard several gunshots," said Robert Kane. "Sounds like they’re right in front of the house here. Then, 20 seconds later, I heard what sounded like more gunfire a little further down the street over there."
"I saw one person running out," said Shelly Worden. "My sons and numerous people running out, so I don’t know how many people ran out of the house at that point, but definitely more than one."
Neighbors describe a frantic scene. Some people ran for their lives, while others rushed to the scene to see what happened. They say they’ve heard gunshots around here before, but nothing like this, and they hope the nightmare is over.
"It’s going to impact a lot of lives, so that’s horrible," said Kane.
If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 (Crisis Text Line)
CLICK HERE for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide. Call 1-800-273-TALK for free and confidential emotional support.
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