BAD: 2 Dead In Arizona Graduation Party Shooting - Mesa, AZ

[CT-Mike]

2 dead, 4 hurt in Ariz. graduation party shooting - Yahoo! News

MESA, Ariz. – Police in Arizona say two people are dead and four others wounded after a shooting at a high school graduation party at a home.

Mesa Police Sgt. Ed Wessing said Sunday that a police officer and a 10-year-old boy were among those injured. The suspect, a 37-year-old man, is in custody after a four-hour standoff at a home near Phoenix.

Wessing says a party guest got into an argument at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, then got a handgun from his car. The suspect returned and began shooting.

A man and a woman were killed. The 10-year-old and a man were grazed in the head and another man was shot in the wrist.

Wessing says when police arrived, patrol cars were hit by gunfire and one officer was shot in the left arm.

Sad

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[grady]

What was a 37-year-old doing at a high school graduation party? Was he coming to pick up one of the kids?

Whatever the dispute, it sounds like he handled it the wrong way.

[retsupt99]

It may have been a high school graduation party, but I can smell some alcohol.
How about you?

[archer51]

It may have been a high school graduation party, but I can smell some alcohol.
How about you?

Sounds about right to me too.

[flagflyfish]

Lots of missing info, but I would agree that there is probably drinking in the scenario.....

[miklcolt45]

It may have been a high school graduation party, but I can smell some alcohol.
How about you?

Ret,

Are you suggesting that there are people out there who disobey the law? It is illegal in FL for the underage to drink alcoholic beverages. Surely that is also true in AZ. Thus, it is impossible for alcohol to be a factor, except in the case of this 37-year-old.

Wow, next thing you know, you'll be telling me that people disobey speed limit signs, Drug-Free Zone signs and Gun Free Zone signs.

[CRags99]

Knowing high schoolers these days, there could have very well been more than alcohol involved.

[Adamcop84]

That's pretty sad when you can't even go to a graduation party without some guy going Nutso! What is the world coming to?

[Tom G]

It sounds like the 37 year old might have had one too many drinks. He sounds like he might have had other problems besides alcohol. Lets hope he didn't have a ccw permit. There is always going to some fool who will end up killing someone. He could have set the house on fire or used a car to run people down.

[lacrosse50]

Probably got into a verbal argument, someone questioned his manhood/sexuality/religion/mother's morality, and he runs out to the car and shoots the place up. No excuse, no leniency. He's a murderer and will hopefully be treated as such.

[Chirpy72]

The 37 yr old killed his ex wife and her new boyfriend at this party. Sounds like besides alcohol this guy was also pretty angry.

It's a good idea when in a mindset like that to get help ... talk to someone about what's going on in the head ... don't act on those impulses.

[flagflyfish]

MESA, Ariz. — Police say a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend at an Arizona high school graduation party apparently was upset at seeing the couple kiss.

Investigators say 37-year-old Brent Matthew Banks was motivated by jealousy when he shot the victims in the front yard of the house hosting the party Saturday.

Police say Banks also shot at police, and six people were hurt by either gunshots or bullet fragments. A police officer was shot in the arm, but the other injuries were minor.

Sally S. Johnson-Huddleston and Auston G. Blanks were killed.

No response was made to a request for a jailhouse interview with Banks. He was booked on counts of first-degree murder, aggravated assault and kidnapping.



I don't see any recent affiliation as far as surnames are concerned, the situation must have been going on for awhile. (Likely quite awhile)OMO

[Phillep Harding]

So, uh, who was the high schooler who was graduating? The ex girl friend or the new boyfriend?

[Chirpy72]

I think the highschooler was a family friend. It turns out one of the innocent bystanders who was shot was the young child of the shooter. ):