Police arrest teen in July Fourth shooting at Glendale’s Westgate that injured 5

Police have arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with a July Fourth shooting at the Westgate Entertainment District that injured five juveniles, including the suspect’s own sister, the Glendale Police Department said Monday.

The teen is charged with aggravated assault, endangerment and minor in possession of a firearm, according to court records. He has no prior criminal history.

The arrest is an update from Saturday night, when police initially said no suspect had been found after responding to the popular outdoor mall near State Farm Stadium around 9 p.m.

All five victims were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

One juvenile was shot in the hip and may require surgery, according to the court filing.

Another was shot in the thigh.

The suspect’s 8-year-old sister sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.

A bystander was grazed.

Suspect flashed cash before pulling gun

The suspect was visiting Westgate with his family, including his mother and 8-year-old sister, and arrived at the entertainment district around 7 p.m. after watching fireworks.

He ran into classmates near the fountain area, Glendale Police Sgt. Bryan Hoskin said. The alleged shooter said he knew the other teens from his high school lunches, but they were not friendly.

The confrontation escalated when the suspect started waving roughly $800 in front of the other group to taunt them, according to court records.

“There was just some words exchanged, at which point it set one of them off,” Hoskin said.

Police said that the teen admitted to pulling the gun and shooting from the hip.

Someone from that other group pulled a second firearm and shot back, court records said.

Officers recovered 9 mm and .40-caliber shell casings near Bar Louie and along a pathway in the plaza.

The shooting triggered widespread panic before arrest

The shooting sent the holiday crowd ducking, hiding and fleeing the area. Westgate was locked down for roughly two hours while SWAT swept the property.

“Our teams were there very quickly to limit the exposure to everybody who was there,” Hoskin said. “It could’ve happened anywhere. It could’ve happened at a Walmart in South Phoenix, or it could’ve happened at an ASU football game in Tempe.”

Police tracked the suspect to another area of Westgate where he was arrested.

Police said he was found with a handgun containing ammunition that matched the casings left at the scene. He also had $850 in cash. The unnamed suspect later admitted to the shooting.

“If you’re having an issue with your teen and you think they’re doing this type of behavior, you can do what you need to do as a parent,” Hoskin said. “If you need our help, you can always call the non-emergency numbers to the local police departments.”

Police asked anyone with video of the incident to contact Glendale Police at 623-930-3000 or contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.

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