A Sunday night gun battle in a parking lot in downtown Glendale has left three people dead and five others injured.
Detectives say they’re working to identify the number of shooters.
The shooting at an outdoor venue outside of El Camaron Gigante Mariscos & Steakhouse near Grand and 57th avenues was an “isolated incident," and authorities believe more than one person fired shots, said Glendale Police Department spokesperson Jose Santiago. Between 200 and 300 people were in attendance when the shooting broke out.
Glendale police say a fight broke out near the stage during the car show and concert that drew hundreds of people. Those fighting were told to leave, but their conflict escalated to gunfire in the parking lot.
The restaurant is less than a block from Glendale police headquarters, so officers were on scene quickly.
Detectives will use shell casings to help narrow down the number of potential shooters. Glendale police are asking anyone with information about what happened to call the non-emergency line at 623-930-3000.
The dead included a 17-year-old boy and his 21-year-old brother, as well as another 21-year-old man, police said.
The wounded included a 16-year-old boy, who was critically injured and required surgery overnight, but Santiago said he was expected to survive.
In a statement Monday, the restaurant said it was cooperating with the police investigation while trying to make sense of a “heartbreaking event.”
“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and all affected by this senseless violence,” the statement said.
Social media videos shared by the restaurant earlier Sunday before the shooting showed people dancing near a stage with a DJ booth.
Santiago said event organizers removed a group of people from the venue after they started fighting near the stage. They began shooting at each other just outside of the event, Santiago said.
Bystander Lupe Rodriguez said he ran to safety when he heard the gunshots. He was shaken, but said he was grateful that he and his friends survived.
"There was a man on the ground, and it didn’t look like he made it,” Rodriguez said. “His father was yelling out his name.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been modified to correct the ages of some victims after Glendale police provided updated information.
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Gabriela Ramírez is an investigative reporter who reported the story for the Spanish-language news outlet Conecta Arizona with a grant funded by the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism National Fellowship.
