Global Courant 2023-05-18 11:14:53
A high school cheerleader was fatally shot this weekend as he left a house party and the suspect remains at large, police say.
According to a Phoenix police press release, 17-year-old Desiree Rivas was struck and killed by gunfire on Sunday, May 14, as she left a house party in a local neighborhood.
Just after midnight, police arrived at the scene after reports of shots fired nearby, firefighters pronounced the Cesar Chavez High School student dead at the scene.
Cesar Chavez High School Cheerleader Desiree Rivas, 17, in her cheerleading uniform. (Official Facebook page for Cesar Chavez High School)
Neighbors recalled on FOX10 the loud gunfire and said they saw what appeared to be teenage boys running.
“I was in bed and I heard these gunshots, and they were loud. It’s like they were in the middle of my yard. They were so loud,” said April Stokes. “I was afraid to get up because I didn’t know where they came from because they sounded so close.”
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“I heard five, maybe six shots, two different guns, you know. It sounded pretty close,” said one man. “I couldn’t sleep with the helicopter aloft. I was on the road for about five hours.”
Immediately after the gunfire, Stokes said she saw something outside her window.
“I saw these guys – who looked like teenage boys – running from across the street. From one house to another,” Stokes said.
More than 100 cheerleaders accuse Rockstar Cheer and Varsity Spirit of facilitating underage abuse. (John Cordes/Icon Sportswire)
The young girl was described by her teammates as a “great friend, athlete and student.”
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“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I post about the tragic loss of our wonderful friend, athlete and student Desiree,” a Instagram message of the team reads. “Our hearts are broken into a million pieces. Additional counselors will be on campus tomorrow to help us all process this tremendous loss. May Dessy rest in peace and be surrounded by love and light. We love you, Desiree. “
“Our hearts are broken into a million pieces.”
On Monday, May 15, more than 100 family and friends gathered to honor the young life lost too soon. There were candles, flowers and pictures. Everyone brought balloons and let them go in her honor.
“She’s touched so many people. I mean, you never know what relationships are like at school. They come home and don’t talk about it because they do homework and things like that,” her father Danny Rivas said on the watch. “It made me a little bit happier. I need to get through this week to make sure everything goes well for her, because I want to send her off well.”
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Police currently have no information on a suspect or suspects and are asking community members to contact the Phoenix Police of Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a writer on Fox News Digital’s breaking news team. You can reach her on Twitter at @s_rumpfwhiteten.
