Updated Sept. 8 at 8:35 p.m. Arizona time: Phoenix police identified the victim as a 17-year-old boy and said the shooting occurred at a neighborhood park. No arrest had been announced.
A 17-year-old boy died after being shot at a southwest Phoenix park near 83rd Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road shortly after midnight Tuesday, Sept. 8, according to police accounts reported by local news organizations.
Phoenix police officers responding to a shooting call found the boy unresponsive with a gunshot wound. Officers began emergency treatment before Phoenix firefighters arrived, and the victim was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
As of 8:35 p.m. Arizona time Tuesday, police had announced no arrests and released no description of a possible suspect. Authorities had not publicly identified the boy by name.
What investigators have disclosed
ABC15 reported that officers were called just after midnight and that homicide detectives were investigating. Arizona’s Family reported that emergency crews took the unresponsive boy to a hospital after officers provided lifesaving treatment.
In an evening update, FOX 10 reported that police described the victim as 17 and said the shooting happened at a park next to homes in the area. The station reported that surveillance video showed a vehicle arriving near the park around the time of the gunfire, but police had not confirmed whether the vehicle or the people seen in the recording were connected to the shooting.
The circumstances leading to the shooting remain unclear. Police have not disclosed whether investigators believe the victim and shooter knew each other or what led to the gunfire.
How to provide information
Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377), or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish speakers. Tips to Silent Witness may be submitted anonymously. Information may also be provided directly to the Phoenix Police Department at 602-262-6151.
The intersection is within Phoenix city limits, and the investigation is being handled by Phoenix police.
This remains a developing story. West Valley Post will update it if police identify the victim by name, announce an arrest or release additional information about what led to the shooting.
