Mesa police officers are investigating four separate shootings that left three people dead and one person in the hospital.
Officers believe the shootings are related and have identified a person responsible for the investigation. Investigators are in the process of questioning that person, police said.
Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Friday, officers were dispatched to Beverly Park near Alma School Road and Main Street for a report of a person found dead. Officers discovered the body of a 41-year-old man.
While still in the park, officers heard shots fired nearby and other officers began searching the area, police said. Around 12:15 a.m. Saturday, officers found a 36-year-old woman with injuries at Stewart and Main Street. The woman was taken to hospital where she is in stable condition and will undergo surgery for serious injuries, police said.
Another person called police shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday to report a dead man near a bus stop at South Country Club Drive and Second Avenue. Officers arrived and found the body of another 41-year-old man.
Officers searched the area for the suspect and other victims, eventually discovering another body shortly after 2 a.m. near South Extension Road and Main Street. That person has not been identified but is believed to be a man, police said.
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All four victims had gunshot wounds. Their names will not be released until family notifications have been made, said Sgt. Brandi George, spokeswoman for the Mesa Police Department.
“Although this case is very complex and still in the early stages, the Mesa Police Department has identified a person responsible for the investigation, who is currently in custody,” George said.
Mesa Mayor John Giles issued a statement Saturday evening to say he was deeply disturbed by the overnight violence in Mesa and that “this is a tragedy that was felt throughout the city.”
“The residents of Mesa deserve a safe and peaceful city,” Giles said. “Unfortunately, incidents like this are all too common in cities large and small across the country.”
Search warrants are being served and interviews of potential witnesses are still underway. Anyone with additional information about these cases can contact the Mesa Police Department at 480-644-2211.
