At least three people have died and five more were wounded Sunday after multiple shooters opened fire at an Arizona restaurant, police said.
The shooting at El Camarón Gigante in downtown Glendale began as a fight between “at least two groups of people” near the restaurant’s stage area, Glendale police said in a statement Monday. The people involved were told to go outside, spurring another altercation, which ended in gunfire, police said.
The three victims were identified only as a 17-year-old male, a 21-year-old man and a 29-year-old, police said Monday. The 17- and 29-year-old males were brothers.
Wounded were two women, ages 20 and 21; two men, ages 20 and 23; and a 16-year-old male. Police said the teenager “was in surgery overnight due to his injuries, but he is expected to make a full recovery.”
“First and foremost, our deepest condolences to those who were killed during this senseless act of violence. We also hope those who were injured recover quickly and as painlessly as possible.” Jose Miguel Santiago, a police spokesperson, said in the news release.
Santiago added that authorities are “doing everything humanly possible to arrest those responsible” and give the families the justice they deserve. He said that although there were multiple shooters, it was an “isolated incident that involved individuals that were known to one another.”
Police said the fight broke out inside El Camarón Gigante, where a concert or a car show was taking place, at around 7:45 p.m. local time.
An unidentified witness told NBC affiliate KPNX of Phoenix that the restaurant was holding a family-friendly Cinco de Mayo party with dozens of people of all ages.
“Once they exited the venue, the fight escalated in the parking lot, and that’s when these individuals began shooting at one another,” Santiago said.
Officers were able to control the situation within three minutes because the venue is one block from the central station. Authorities are gathering evidence in the area to determine how many weapons were used and to narrow down how many shooters were involved.
The witness had just left the restaurant, he told KPNX, when he heard more than 20 shots ring out over 15 to 20 seconds. After a roughly 30-second pause, about 10 more shots were fired, he said.
The witness said he applied pressure to the wounds of a woman who had been struck more than once. He also said he saw paramedics “doing pretty heavy-duty chest compressions” on three people, as well as someone conscious and breathing who was being taken out on a stretcher.
Officer Moroni Mendez, a Glendale police spokesperson, said more than one person opened fire. There were no immediate arrests, but “quite a few people” were detained, and officers were trying to determine whether they were victims, witnesses or suspects, he said.
Santiago said: “We can tell you there was anywhere from 200 to 300 people who attended the event and the connected restaurant was also open for business at the time of the event. The individuals we are speaking to are cooperating with the investigation, but we are continuing to ask for aid from the public to lead to arrests.”
The Mexican Consulate in Phoenix said on Facebook that it was offering assistance to any Mexican citizens after the shooting.
Read the full article here
