A Phoenix man riding his bicycle near a Circle K convenience store early Tuesday morning was shot in the leg after two suspects tried and failed to steal his bike, according to police. The victim's injury was determined to be non-life-threatening, and he told officers he did not recognize either of the men who attacked him.
The shooting happened around 2 a.m. near 2300 West Bethany Home Road, at the intersection of 23rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. Detective Mike Fischer told the outlet that two suspects attempted to steal the victim's bicycle, and when they couldn't secure it, the shooter pulled out a handgun and fired at the victim. The bullet struck him in the leg but did not hit an artery, and both suspects fled the scene.
Phoenix police are now seeking the public's help identifying the gunman, who they consider armed and dangerous, per the same account. Investigators describe the shooter as a young man in his 20s, possibly Hispanic, while the second suspect — who now faces potential accomplice liability — is described as a young Hispanic man. Authorities say the shooter may have committed previous offenses, though no further details on that history have been released.
Cash Reward Offered for Tips
Police have urged anyone with information to come forward, and Phoenix Silent Witness is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest. Anonymous tipsters can call 480-948-6377 or file a report online. Silent Witness, founded in 1979 as a nonprofit partnership with Valley law enforcement agencies, runs 24/7 hotlines in English and Spanish and funds its rewards through private donations approved by its board, according to the City of Phoenix.
The intersection where the shooting occurred falls within the Phoenix Police Department's Cactus Park Precinct, which patrols the city's north-central sector, per city records. It's not the first time police have investigated crime at that specific corner — in April 2022, officers looked into a commercial burglary involving three wanted suspects at a convenience store at the same intersection, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix at the time.
A Corridor With a Recent Violent History
The Bethany Home Road corridor has seen other bursts of gun violence in recent months. In June, four young men between 18 and 20 years old were wounded when an early-morning fight escalated into gunfire outside a nearby plaza parking lot, a case Hoodline previously reported also drew Silent Witness involvement. And in February, Phoenix police arrested a suspect in the fatal shooting of a man outside a different Circle K in the city, underscoring how often overnight calls to these 24-hour stores turn violent.
Citywide, though, the broader trend has been pointing downward. Data compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association showed Phoenix recorded drops across major violent crime categories — including homicides, aggravated assaults, and robberies — in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period the year before, with aggravated assaults falling from 4,511 to 4,175 incidents. Still, localized flashpoints like this stretch of Bethany Home Road remain an ongoing concern for the Cactus Park Precinct.
What Charges Could the Suspects Face
Under Arizona law, the shooter faces potential Class 2 felony charges for armed robbery under ARS § 13-1904 and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon under ARS § 13-1204, both of which carry mandatory prison terms with no eligibility for probation upon conviction. The second suspect, who did not fire the weapon, could still face Class 3 felony aggravated robbery charges under ARS § 13-1903, since Arizona law holds accomplices criminally liable for felony robbery even without personally carrying a firearm.
It remains unclear whether investigators have recovered surveillance footage from the Circle K or whether the handgun used in the shooting has been linked to other crimes through ballistics testing. It's also unknown whether any tips submitted to Silent Witness have produced actionable leads on the two suspects. For now, police are relying on the public to help identify the men before anyone else along this stretch of west Phoenix gets hurt.
