Man dies after shooting in north Phoenix, police identify and book suspect

PHOENIX — A man died after a shooting in north Phoenix on Thursday night, authorities said.

The Phoenix Police Department responded to the area of Cave Creek and Greenway roads for reports of a shooting around 8:15 p.m., authorities said.

When police arrived, they found a man, later identified as 27-year-old Emmett Henry Yazzie Jr., suffering from a gunshot wound.

The Phoenix Fire Department took Yazzie to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he was pronounced dead.

Police announced Saturday that the suspect has been identified as 24-year-old Mario Esparza. He has been arrested and booked into jail on charges related to the homicide.

Homicide and Night detectives took over the ongoing investigation.

Authorities said the area was canvassed to locate surveillance footage, evidence and witnesses. The medical examiner’s office is in possession of Yazzie’s body, and a postmortem examination is pending.

KTAR News Web Content Editor David Veenstra contributed to this report.

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