Phoenix area sees string of homeless killings
A series of unhoused people have been killed in metro Phoenix throughout 2023.
Here are some of the ones we know so far:
Fatal shooting believed to be in self-defense
Phoenix police investigated a fatal shooting that left one unhoused man dead on Feb. 2. The shooting occurred near 11th Avenue and Jefferson Street after officers heard the sound of gunfire.
The area is part of "The Zone," where between 800 and 1,000 unhoused people reside on any given day, according to the Human Services Campus, a nonprofit organization that offers support services for those experiencing homelessness.
Police detained a man running away from where the shooting occurred, though no arrests were made as witnesses told officers the shooting was out of self-defense during an argument involving multiple people.
Court documents: Man told police he targeted homeless
A weekend in late May was particularly deadly for individuals who sought homeless services in Phoenix and Mesa. The shootings, which occurred on May 26 and 27, left four men dead and a woman injured.
The five victims of a string of shootings over the weekend in Mesa and Phoenix were longtime patrons of the Paz de Cristo, a homeless service provider.
Paz de Cristo Executive Director Jackie Shelley told The Arizona Republic each of them had come to the outreach center in Mesa at some point, some as long ago as 2014. The center provides daily evening meals, has shower services and helps with job assistance.
Shelley said she wasn’t certain if all five victims were unsheltered but had seen them come to the center in need of its services. Shelley said the community is grieving the deaths of the four who were slain.
“For them, it’s a death in their family,” she said.
Authorities ultimately arrested 20-year-old Iren Shawndre Byers, who faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.
Court documents say Byers told police he didn’t call for medical help for any of the people he shot overnight because they "didn't deserve it," and he said he had no remorse for killing or hurting them.
The men Byers is suspected of killing include:
41-year-old Nicholas Arnstad.
41-year-old Julian Cox.
41-year-old Stephen Young.
40-year-old John Swain.
Police identified the injured victim as a 36-year-old woman, who was taken to a hospital and was expected to recover at the time.
Byers told police during an interview that he was talking with the woman while walking on Main Street until "she made him mad," so he shot her and then fired one more round when he noticed she wasn't dead yet, court documents say.
Court documents say Byers told police he specifically targeted people whom he believed to be homeless. Phoenix and Mesa police could not confirm whether all five victims were actually unhoused but believed at least some were.
Richard Encinas, a spokesman for Mesa police, said investigators couldn’t confirm whether animosity toward homeless people was Byers’ primary motivation despite his post-arrest comments.
“He did mention a little bit of his mindset in the charging documents, but we don’t believe that the ‘homeless’ angle was his motivation,” Encinas said.
'Staggering': Homeless deaths rose 42% in Maricopa County in 2022
Family mourns ‘sweet and loving’ man
Errol Morgan Jr., a 30-year-old man who performed odd jobs over various states before finally settling in Phoenix about three years ago, promised he would connect with his family once he had proven himself to be self-reliant.
But Morgan would fail to realize his dream after he was fatally stabbed near 48th and Washington streets in Phoenix on the morning of May 3. Police have said the person suspected of stabbing Morgan claimed to have done so in self-defense and that the investigation remains ongoing.
Jessica Morgan, Errol Morgan’s 29-year-old sister, described her brother as a peaceful person who preferred to walk away from fights.
“He was very sweet and loving to his nieces and nephews,” Jessica Morgan said, adding that he was an affectionate son who only left Las Vegas because he wanted to unburden his mother who was caring for his epileptic father.
Their dad’s death from a seizure last year led Errol Morgan to depression, further distancing his communication with family, his sister said.
According to Jessica Morgan, police told the family that Errol Morgan’s heart was pierced by a steak knife wielded by a man her brother approached at a van parked under a bridge. Errol Morgan suspected this man had stolen his personal belongings, his sister said police told her.
Jessica Morgan said an eyewitness to the altercation that left her brother dead has said the killing was not in self-defense. This person, however, is fearful for their safety and has declined to come forward to police with this information, Jessica Morgan said.
Maricopa County's homeless deaths spiked in 2022
An annual report that Maricopa County published in May showed it investigated 732 homeless deaths in 2022 — a 42% increase over the 517 deaths it investigated in 2021.
Homicides involving homeless people increased from 26 in 2021 to 36 in 2022, marking a 38% increase.
Accidents, which can include drug overdoses, traffic collisions and heat deaths, represent the vast majority of recorded homeless deaths.
Increasing concern: 'More people falling off the cliff into homelessness': Housing advocates share fears, possible solutions
Republic reporters Jose Gonzalez, Laura Daniella Sepulveda and Juliette Rihl contributed to this article.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix area sees string of homeless killings
