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Scottsdale police shoot woman armed with gun in lobby

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Published  May 31, 2026 2:33 PM MST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 10 Phoenix

The Brief

    • A woman was booked into jail on multiple felony charges after being released from the hospital following an April 30 officer-involved shooting inside a Scottsdale police station lobby.
    • The suspect, 23-year-old Eva Josefina Garcia, allegedly pointed a handgun at a police aid and cornered a civilian before a sergeant shot her when she refused commands to drop the weapon.
    • The suspect's motive remains unknown.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A Scottsdale Police sergeant shot a woman inside the lobby of the McKellips District Station on April 30 after she entered with a backpack and pulled out a handgun.

What we know:

Scottsdale Police said the officer-involved shooting happened inside the lobby at the McKellips District Station on the morning of April 30 at around 9:46 a.m. 

A woman entered the lobby with a backpack and pulled out a handgun. Officers said she walked toward the information window and pointed the gun at the police aid, who was sitting behind protective glass. 

The police aid was able to get away from the woman and call for help.

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"I have a subject in the lobby here with a gun pointed at the window," audio from that call revealed. "And there's a person at the vehicle impound window." 

The suspect, identified as 23-year-old Eva Josefina Garcia, then walked over to the vehicle impound window, pointing the handgun at the man there, cornering him and making him unable to escape, according to police. 

"She has the person at the impound window at gunpoint," the caller said. 

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Dig deeper:

Officers inside the McKellips station responded to the situation, demanding Garcia to drop the gun. Another officer could be heard on body camera video saying that she was loading the handgun.

One sergeant was able to get into a small hallway between doors that separated the lobby, where "an innocent man" was, police said. 

That's when the sergeant demanded the woman to drop the gun. When she instead pointed it at the sergeant and responding officers. The sergeant then shot Garcia to stop the threat. They took her handgun and rescued the man in the lobby. 

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Police said Garcia was taken to the hospital, where she stayed for 12 days in protective custody. After her release, she was booked into jail on several felony charges including attempted homicide, aggravated assault on an officer, aggravated assault on an employee of a law enforcement agency, kidnapping – fear of injury, aggravated assault – innocent citizen, and disorderly conduct — recklessly handle, display, or discharge a firearm.

 Garcia was held on a $850,000 cash-only bond.

What we don't know:

The woman's motive, and the events leading up to the incident, remain unknown.

What's next:

Scottsdale Police are investigating the sergeant's use of force. Mesa Police is conducting the officer-involved shooting investigation. 

The Source: Scottsdale Police Department

Crime and Public SafetyScottsdaleNews