Editor’s Note (5/18): A 19-year-old suspect, also arrested, was not formally charged in court on Thursday. I will no longer identify him.
YUMA, Arizona (KYMA, KECY) – Yuma police have confirmed that two young people are currently in prison in connection with a shooting at a local house party.
One of them was found by police at a home near Cibola High School and is currently charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
The Yuma Police Department (YPD) issued a search warrant near West 19th Place and 47th Drive in connection with Saturday night’s shooting and arrested 18-year-old Jose Lopez.
A major update from the YPD confirms that two suspects linked to the Yuma shooting were arrested after 7 p.m. on Monday, May 15.
Police said they raided the suspect’s home and found additional evidence leading to the arrest of 18-year-old Jose Lopez on charges of first-degree murder and disorderly conduct with a deadly weapon.
Lopez appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday afternoon.
“The charges brought by the arresting officers include first-degree murder, second-degree, disorderly conduct with a weapon or tool, third-degree, and first-degree murder. At the stage, you will receive an order of detention, no bail, no release,” said Judge Gregory Stewart, First Precinct Peace Judge of the Yuma County Court of Justice.
Additionally, the YPD filed a false report and arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of disorderly conduct with a weapon.
It happened after seven people were shot at a house party before 11 p.m. Saturday night, killing two of the victims.
Ande Blackthunder, 20, and Danny Garcia, 19.
Two other victims are in stable condition at a hospital in Phoenix.
Meanwhile, the other three victims were released from the Yuma Regional Medical Center on Sunday.
The shooting occurred at a home in the Beleza neighborhood on South J. Edward Drive, 1/2 East 5th Avenue.
Samantha Byrd spoke with the homeowner, who said one of her relatives hosted a party while he was out.
“It’s disappointing that this happened, but it’s also disappointing that it happened in this neighborhood and in my backyard,” said Jerry Gallardo, the homeowner of the house party.
He says he was in Rocky Point when he got the call.
“I heard it wasn’t good, so I went ahead and without thinking too much, I packed my things, and it was 12:12:30 midnight, so I packed up and left,” Gallardo said. .
Then he started panicking.
“When you turn the corner and see the police’s violent movements and the warning tapes, it leaves you speechless,” Gallardo said.
One of the things that really pissed him off, he said, was that he had no control over it.
“It wasn’t my family’s intention to let this happen, so they’re not doing well right now,” Gallardo explained.
Gallardo said he would like to express his condolences to the families of Ande and Danny.
“As a mother, a father, a brother, a sister, I can’t imagine what you’re going through, and I don’t have the words, but what I’m trying to say is that I want to apologize for everything I’ve done. “It just happened,” Gallardo said.
Investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with any information about this incident should remain anonymous by calling YPD at (928) 373-4700 or 78-CRIME at (928) 782-7463. Anyone can receive a $1,000 cash reward if that information leads to an arrest.
