18-year-old shot, killed during Gilbert house party; teen suspect arrested
GILBERT, Ariz. - A teenage suspect has been arrested after an 18-year-old man was shot to death during a house party in Gilbert, police said.
The shooting happened just after midnight on June 18 in a neighborhood near Baseline Road and Ash Street.
Gilbert investigators say the 18-year-old had been involved in some kind of fight in a backyard when he was shot in the chest and torso.
The victim died from his injuries in the hospital. He was identified as Jacob Carlson.
On June 20, police said a juvenile suspect was arrested in connection to the shooting and has been charged as an adult by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. The suspect was booked into a juvenile detention facility and is accused of multiple charges, including first-degree murder, burglary and endangerment.
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The man, identified as 22-year-old Isaiah Panez, was located near Ash Street and Vaughn Avenue at 1:16 a.m. on June 18.
‘They are in tears’
"We live in a pretty nice part of town, so it’s kind of surprising," a neighbor named Cameron said. "It’s unsettling to say the least."
Hunter Breshears was visiting downtown Gilbert and agrees.
"It seems abnormal because it seems like a family area," Breshears said. "Waking up and having plans for the day, and those plans don’t happen. It becomes a day of sadness and not happiness."
Anthony Sandoval says his daughter knew the victim of this shooting and is grieving his untimely death.
"Her circle of friends are just on the phone, and they are in tears, and you know, your heart goes out for them," he said.
Two murders in one night aren't something that often happens in the suburban community.
State data shows there were only four homicides in Gilbert last year.
"I figured Gilbert is one of the safest cities in Arizona, if not the nation … there’s the bad stuff that happens everywhere all the time, but it just kind of rocks the community a little bit, it hurts a little bit," Sandoval said.
Police say they need witnesses to help them solve these crimes.
Area where the shooting happened: