Star student-athlete, 18, allegedly shoots up Scottsdale Airbnb party — as gunfire misses infant by inches

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - An 18-year-old former high school athlete is behind bars on a quarter-million-dollar cash bond after police say he opened fire outside a Scottsdale short-term rental during a neighborhood gun battle that sent bullets tearing into a nearby home, narrowly missing a sleeping infant.

Matthew Lee Simcox of Apache Junction is accused of multiple felony charges, including discharging a firearm at an occupied home, disorderly conduct with a deadly weapon and endangerment. The charges stem from an early-morning shootout on Oct. 11 at an Airbnb property near 73rd Place and Papago Drive, an incident that authorities believe may be connected to an ongoing feud that began in Mesa earlier that month.

What we know:

Scottsdale police were called to the neighborhood around 3:30 a.m. after receiving at least seven emergency calls reporting a heavy barrage of gunfire. Terrified neighbors reported hearing anywhere from 15 to more than 20 gunshots, with one resident telling dispatchers they heard a bullet whiz right past their head as partygoers scrambled over residential walls to escape.

Investigators recovered 58 spent cartridge casings scattered across the front porch and the street. Across from the rental, three bullets struck a neighboring home on East Papago Drive, puncturing the roof and an exterior wall directly opposite a crib where an infant was fast asleep. No injuries were reported.

According to court records, the violence erupted during a large gathering at the property, which had been rented by Simcox’s older brother. Ring doorbell camera footage captured several individuals fleeing onto the front porch armed with handguns and a rifle before opening fire toward a group in the street. Police said the video clearly shows Simcox, wearing a gray sweatshirt and dark pants, pointing and firing a black handgun toward the roadway and the home across the street before frantically collecting spent casings off the porch.

The backstory:

Detectives executed a search warrant on the property and recovered three firearms, two of which were registered to Simcox’s brother and father. Ballistics entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network subsequently linked a shell casing from the Scottsdale porch to an Oct. 3 shooting in Mesa involving 49 rounds. Mesa police had previously gathered surveillance footage showing Simcox threatening to shoot up a home over an alleged stolen firearm, followed by video days later of Simcox opening fire at the residence from a red Jeep Grand Cherokee tied to his family.

The other side:

During Simcox’s initial court appearance, prosecutors pushed for a $350,000 cash-only bond, pointing to the grave danger posed by the gunfire and the infant's close call across the street. A Maricopa County judge found probable cause on all counts and set bond at $250,000 cash-only.

Simcox’s defense counsel argued for a significantly lower bond, maintaining that the teen was acting in self-defense after a passing vehicle fired into the rental property first. The defense emphasized that Simcox had no prior criminal record, recently graduated with honors from Skyline High School where he played varsity football, and works full-time for his family's local business.

READ MORE: 4 arrested in shooting at Scottsdale short-term rental

Big picture view:

The arrest comes as Scottsdale leaders continue an "aggressive" crackdown on nuisance short-term rental properties throughout the city.

What's next:

Simcox remains held in the Maricopa County jail and is scheduled to appear for a status conference on Nov. 17, followed by a preliminary hearing on Nov. 19.

Map of where the shooting occurred:

What we don't know:

Police have not revealed what sparked the initial altercation in the backyard, and investigators have not identified or charged any other partygoers or occupants of the fleeing vehicle.