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Police seek suspect in Tempe shooting

A shooting at Block 1949 located on the intersection of McClintock and University drives early Saturday morning left three people injured. One of the victims remains in critical condition.  (Photo by Julie Vitkovskaya)
A shooting at Block 1949 located on the intersection of McClintock and University drives early Saturday morning left three people injured. One of the victims remains in critical condition.  (Photo by Julie Vitkovskaya)

A shooting at Block 1949 located on the intersection of McClintock and University drives early Saturday morning left three people injured. One of the victims remains in critical condition.  (Photo by Julie Vitkovskaya)

Isaac Utter, an industrial engineering junior, looked over the edge of his third-floor balcony at Block 1949 apartments to see an intoxicated young woman shouting at a group of men below, asking them to come up. A short while later, Utter heard a knock on his door.

“We were like, ‘No, we’re not opening it,’ so we kept it locked,” Utter said. “They just kept banging for a good … maybe 10 minutes.”

Half an hour later, Utter heard a different kind of pounding: three distinct gunshots had been fired on the floor below him.

“I just thought it was someone stomping,” Utter said. “It was deep.”

Utter said he didn’t think the three loud thumps were anything serious until his friend came back to the room to say, “Someone just got shot.”

-----

The shooting

Police responded to a 911 call at 12:49 a.m. at the complex located on the intersection of University and McClintock drives.

The three gunshots Utter heard occurred in the hallway outside of room 2036, located on the second story of the building, according to Tempe Police Department spokesman Charles Cobbs.

The suspect shot a woman and two men after an altercation over stolen property, which police believe involved an iPod.

The woman, an ASU student, admitted to hosting the party and is also a resident of the apartment nearest to the shooting, according to police.

Police cannot confirm whether the two men who were shot are also ASU students.

One of the men sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while the other remains in critical condition.

Police still do not have a description of the suspect.

For many residents returning to the apartments early Saturday morning, the scene was reminiscent of a movie.

Sophomore roommates Mia Frenkel and Bailey Murphy had left for a different party that evening. When they returned, they saw an ambulance with one of the victims on the stretcher and people scattering to safety.

“People started running everywhere,” Murphy said. “It was weird.”

Utter also saw people jumping from the second story balcony below him.

Police estimate 50 people were present at the party.

Education sophomore Alex Schmersahl, who lives on the opposite side of the second-floor apartment, said he didn’t hear of the shooting until he heard sirens.

“We looked across the balcony and there were cops talking to people in the other room,” Schmersahl said.

Residents were not allowed to enter their apartments or leave.

A text message alert sent shortly after 4:00 a.m. informed residents they could enter with a valid ID parking permit on the east entrance.

Frenkel said some residents didn’t wait to be let inside and instead climbed over the gate to get into their apartments.

Many residents had to spend the night somewhere else.

Alex Goody, a political science junior, said he was one of four or five residents who had to spend the night outside in his car.

When some residents returned home in the early morning, they stepped over trails of dried blood leading from the second-floor staircase to the room.

---- Future security

Some residents said Block 1949 is generally a safe area and this incident did not make them want to relocate to other apartment complexes.

Frenkel and her roommates who moved in less than a month ago. She said she would not consider moving out because of this “isolated event.”

“I’m trying not to feel unsafe because it wasn’t like it was some random shooting,” Frenkel said.

An email sent to residents following the text alert from Block 1949 management listed tips and various safety measures residents can take to minimize risk.

It also stated the ASU Police Department considers offenses against students in their homes “crimes of opportunity,” meaning denying criminals the opportunity to commit a crime is a key to personal security.

The email also listed four security measures the complex provides, including in-room panic buttons and on-site professional security.

On-site security was increased on the same day of the shooting, according to an email sent by Theresa L. Nakata, senior vice president of Pierce Education Properties, L.P., which owns Block 1949.

It is unclear whether Block 1949 will increase its on-site security in the future.

One resident who responded from room 2036 said she did not want to comment on the situation.

Residents said the next day seemed normal despite the previous night’s events.

“I definitely didn’t expect anything like this,” Murphy said. “I would say everyone is pretty surprised.”

Police say more information will be released as it becomes available.

 

Reach the reporters at mkthomp5@asu.edu and uvitkovs@asu.edu


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