July 4th Westgate shooting: Juvenile suspect accused of multiple charges
GLENDALE, Ariz. - Court documents state that a juvenile is accused of multiple charges in connection with the July 4 shooting at the Westgate Entertainment District that resulted in injuries.
Big picture view:
Per court documents for the suspect, the suspect is accused of the following:
- Endangerment (A.R.S. 13-1201A)
- Aggravated assault (A.R.S. 13-1204)
- Minor in possession of a firearm when not accompanied by a parent or a guardian (A.R.S. 13-3111A)
The backstory:
The shooting broke out around 9:00 p.m. near Sunrise and Entertainment boulevards outside of Bar Louie, and according to a TikTok video, it looked like it happened on the first floor.
"All five victims were juveniles and were treated/transported for non-life threatening injuries," the Glendale Police Department said.
Police say multiple people were shot at Westgate in Glendale on July 4. (KSAZ-TV)
This is not the first time a shooting has happened in the area in recent years. In May 2020, a man named Armando Hernandez Jr. carried out a shooting in the area. At the time, Hernandez Jr. said he intended to injure 10 people, and told police he had been bullied and wanted to gain respect. Hernandez Jr. pleaded guilty to four charges as part of a plea deal, and was sentenced to 44 years in prison in July 2022.
In December 2022, a man was hospitalized as a result of a shooting. The victim told police at the time that he bumped into someone and got into an argument prior to the shooting.
What we know:
Court documents we received did not identify the suspect by name, as that person is a juvenile. However, it did state that of the five victims, the youngest is eight years old.
Separately, Glendale Police have identified the suspect as a 15-year-old.
"During the investigation, officers learned the shooting occurred after a fight involving multiple subjects," investigators wrote in the court documents. "Witness information indicated the incident involved a fight over a firearm, multiple people fleeing from the area, and additional unknown gunfire."
Dig deeper:
Investigators say according to surveillance video, the suspect and a man who was identified as a family member were seen turning towards a group of teenage males.
"[The suspect] is seen placing his right hand on his waistband and immediately started to walk toward them," investigators wrote. "[The suspect] was then stopped by [an adult male], wearing a bright red shirt. The adult male placed his hand on [the suspect's chest] in an apparent attempt to stop [the suspect] from engaging with the other subjects."
Later, police say an adult female who was seen traveling with the suspect stepped in front on the suspect, and tried to "gain his compliance and get him to back up." The woman was also identified as a member of the suspect's family.
"[The suspect] turns away from the subjects but quickly turns back towards them," investigators state, after which the suspect's family "attempted to intervene and de-escalate the incident."
Police say after the suspect and one of the victims got into a fight that also involved a member of the suspect's family, the shooting happened. Police say they later found out that the suspect possessed a 9mm handgun with "ammunition consistent with several of the casings located at the scene."
"[The suspect] ran from the initial area near the fountain area of Westgate and then he was apprehended as he was trying to flee the property," said Sgt. Bryan Hoskin with Glendale Police.
"[The suspect] later admitted during a post-Miranda interview that he possessed a firearm and discharged it during the incident," read a portion of the court documents. "The defendant also admitted he had illegally possessed the firearm for approximately one week after purchasing it from an unknown person at a park for $400."
The suspect also admitted to knowing the group that they encountered from school, stating that "there was no active ‘beef’ but that the groups were not on friendly terms."
What we don't know:
Police say they are still looking into how or why the suspect had a gun.
"I believe that is something that they are looking into further to see. I believe he mentioned he bought it, but there is nothing concrete on exactly who he bought it from or if it was some sort of legitimate business, if it was off the streets, there’s nothing concrete on that yet," said Sgt. Hoskin.
What's next:
An investigation remains ongoing.
What you can do:
Anyone with information on the case should contact Glendale Police.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a court document for the suspect in the case, as well as from the Arizona State Legislature, and from a previous FOX 10 news report on the matter on July 4, 2026.