Multiple shooters opened fire at an Arizona restaurant on Sunday, killing at least three people and injuring five others, according to police.
The shooting at El Camarón Gigante in downtown Glendale started with a fight between “at least two groups of people” near the restaurant’s stage area, Glendale police said in a statement Monday. According to police, when the people involved were told to go outside, another altercation erupted, resulting in gunfire.
Police identified the three victims as a 17-year-old male, a 21-year-old man, and a 29-year-old. The males, ages 17 and 29, were brothers.
The injured included two women, ages 20 and 21, two men, ages 20 and 23, and a 16-year-old male. Police stated that the teenager “was in surgery overnight due to his injuries, but he is expected to make a full recovery.”
“First and foremost, we offer our heartfelt condolences to those killed in this senseless act of violence. We also hope that those who were injured will recover quickly and painlessly. Jose Miguel Santiago, a police spokesperson, stated in the news release.
Santiago added that authorities are “doing everything humanly possible to arrest those responsible” and provide the families with the justice they deserve. Although there were multiple shooters, he stated that it was a “isolated incident that involved individuals that were known to one another.”
According to police, the fight began around 7:45 p.m. local time inside El Camarón Gigante, which was hosting a concert or car show.
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 different 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 recalled.
Officers were able to control the situation in three minutes because the venue is only one block from the central station. Authorities are gathering evidence in the area to determine how many weapons were used and how many shooters were present.
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 30-second pause, about ten more shots were fired, he stated.
The witness stated that he applied pressure to the wounds of a woman who had been struck more than once. He also stated that he witnessed paramedics “doing pretty heavy-duty chest compressions” on three people, as well as someone conscious and breathing who was being transported on a stretcher.
Officer Moroni Mendez, a Glendale police spokesperson, stated that multiple people opened fire. There were no immediate arrests, but “quite a few people” were detained while officers investigated whether they were victims, witnesses, or suspects, he said.
Santiago stated, “We can tell you that anywhere from 200 to 300 people attended the event, and the connected restaurant was also open for business during the event. The people we’re speaking with are cooperating with the investigation, but we’re still asking for public help to lead to arrests.
Following the shooting, the Mexican Consulate in Phoenix offered assistance to any Mexican citizens via Facebook post.
