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PHOENIX (FOX 10) - A man is behind bars Tuesday after being accused of opening fire at a house party in Phoenix overnight that resulted in six people being shot, two of whom later died. Police say he opened fire due to a stolen wallet.
The 911 call came in at around 3:30 a.m. and officers responded to the scene, located near I-17 and 27th Avenue. On Tuesday, there was shock and grief as family members realize that their loved one, 17-year-old Shelby Verderosa, was one of the two who was shot dead. The other victim has been identified as 30-year-old Jorge Rodriguez.
Both were killed when police say 29-year-old Jeffery Rhone, who had left the party angry, later returned with a gun. According to witnesses, Rhone said someone in the house stole his wallet. Rhone first returned to the house around 9:30. When the argument over the wallet became physical, Rhone was removed from the home. It was around 3:30 in the morning when he returned for a second time with a gun and opened fire.
"He thinks somebody took his keys, and nobody took his [expletive]," said a young woman, who did not want to be identified. "He drove off in his car, and he came back with a gun after the fight, and he shot everybody, and just shot everybody in there."
Before the shooting, the suspect's roommate called Glendale Police to report that his gun had gone missing. He told police Rhone took the gun and he didn't want to press charges, he just wanted the gun back.
The shell casings at the scene were identified as 40 Caliber, matching the roommate's missing weapon.
Police later caught up with Rhone at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, when a detective spotted a 2003 Jeep Cherokee he was driving near 33rd Avenue and Northern. The car had suffered a flat tire and Rhone was arrested without incident.
"[The officer] called for backup," said Sgt. Armando Carbajal with Phoenix Police. "As soon as marked vehicles arrived, the suspect simply got out of the vehicle, put his hands in the air, and surrendered to officers without incident."
Residents in the area where the shooting happened said they have seen violence in the area before.
"Like, they've robbed many times the Circle K, and there's been a dead body over there once, and there's been a lot of stuff," said Amanda Oroxom.
"A lot of people are crazy nowadays," said Victor Santos. "You can go get a gun real quick and come back and do stuff like that, but honestly, it's sad what happened," said Victor Santos.
Rhone was booked into the Fourth Avene Jail on two counts of first-degree murder, four counts of aggravated assault, one count of first-degree burglary, and one count of disorderly conduct with a firearm. His next hearing is scheduled for March 27th.