The Surprise Police Department is piecing together the details of a fatal shooting that erupted yesterday morning, around the intersection of Waddell Road and Prasada Parkway. Responding to a 1:30 a.m. call, officers discovered a man with a gunshot wound who was later pronounced dead on the scene. No threat to the public is apparent at this time, and no suspects are on the loose, 12 News reported.
In a separate incident on New Year's Day, a dispute turned deadly when Manuel Vera Gonzales, 39, was arrested for the shooting of 20-year-old Xavier Elias. Dispatched at approximately 5:30 a.m. to an area near Greenway Road and Grand Avenue, officers encountered Gonzales who had an AR-15 rifle staged in his yard, later exchanging gunfire with Elias, leading to his demise. Elias was transported to a hospital by friends where he succumbed to his injuries. Gonzales, charged with second-degree murder, is currently held on a $500,000 bond, as FOX 10 Phoenix described the grisly scene.
Newly released court documents detail the lead-up to the New Year's Day shooting, with Gonzales telling officers about a verbal confrontation with neighbors, escalating dramatically when Elias allegedly brandished a gun at him. Maintaining that the shooting incident was isolated, authorities have reassured there's no ongoing danger to the community. Initial investigations by the police found uncertainties around who was the aggressor, but further witness interviews led to Gonzales's arrest.
Local residents have reacted to the wave of violence in their community. Javier Ramirez, recalling the rapid succession of shots fired that unsettling night, told FOX 10 Phoenix that the incident has heightened his concerns. "It does worry me," said Ramirez. "When people start firing guns, they can hurt a child, an innocent person." In response to this deadly disturbance, the Surprise Police Department has called on anyone with information to come forward and aid in the ongoing investigations.
