El Mirage shooting that left juvenile dead was supposed to be gun sale, police say

PHOENIX — A shooting in an El Mirage suburb that left one minor dead and 17-year-old in custody last week was supposed to be a handgun sale, authorities said.

In a Monday news conference, the El Mirage Police Department said that there were several juveniles who agreed to meet for the sale before the shooting occurred on April 27 near El Mirage and Thunderbird roads.

Police also revealed that Schiloh Albin Niyibizi — the teen arrested in connection with the fatal shooting — was the second person injured by gunfire during the incident.

“After meeting up, Schiloh produced a firearm and fired several rounds at the victim and other juveniles,” El Mirage Police Lt. Jimmy Chavez told reporters. “The specifics of who was selling the firearm and who was buying it are still under investigation. … At this time, it’s under investigation who shot at Schiloh.”

Chavez also shared that there were two guns found at the scene, but the specifics on who shot who is still being investigated.

More details on the El Mirage shooting

Officers responded to reported gunshots just after 8 p.m. and found a minor males who was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. During the investigation, police learned a second minor, now identified as Niyibizi, arrived at a local hospital with gunshot wounds.

Niyibizi is expected to survive his injuries. He was arrested on April 29 and booked into the Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Facility on charges of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder as well as several other felony and misdemeanor counts.

Chavez said additional charges are possible depending on the investigation’s results, and someone else could face charges in connection with the shooting of Niyibizi.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s David Iversen contributed to this report. 

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