Teen Opens Fire at Halloween Party in Mesa, AZ; Shot by Guard and Off-Duty Officer
A teenage boy was shot multiple times after firing at a security guard outside a Mesa reception hall during a Halloween party. An off-duty officer and the guard returned fire.
Teenager shot after opening fire outside Mesa Halloween event
A dispute outside a Halloween party in Mesa, Arizona turned violent early Saturday morning when a teenage boy opened fire on a security guard, prompting both the guard and an off-duty police officer to return fire, azfamily.com reports.
The incident occurred around 1 a.m. outside Versalles Reception Hall, near Main Street and Stapley Drive. According to investigators, the teen attempted to enter the private Halloween event but was refused entry. He then pointed a firearm at the security guard and pulled the trigger.
Mesa Police Detective Jose Aguirre said an off-duty Mesa officer was working at the event when the shots rang out. After firing at the security guard, the underage suspect fled toward a vehicle. Both the security guard and the off-duty officer returned fire.
"When the gunshots rang out, people started running out. I don't know how many people were here, but I could imagine there was a large amount of people here," Det. Aguirre said.
The teen continued running across Main Street before a separate on-duty Mesa police officer intercepted him. He discarded his firearm on the ground and was taken into custody.
Police said the teenager sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A man inside the vehicle the teen had been running toward was also struck by gunfire and hospitalised, also with non-life-threatening injuries.
The off-duty officer, the security guard, and bystanders were not injured, police confirmed.
"This was a private Halloween party, so you know, people show up and you come here to have fun, not expecting a shooting to occur outside," Det. Aguirre said.
The extensive police response led to disruptions on Valley Metro train services in the area. A line service between Stapley/Main St and Gilbert Rd/Main St was temporarily suspended, with a shuttle bus displaying "SPECIAL" serving both stops in the interim.
Scottsdale Police will investigate the off-duty officer-involved shooting as part of the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team (EVCIRT). Mesa Police will handle the shooting of the security guard as an aggravated assault case.
The incident marks the 37th officer-involved shooting in Maricopa County and the 66th in Arizona so far this year.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)