Global Courant 2023-05-14 20:23:27
Two people were killed and five others were shot and wounded in Yuma, Arizona, just 10 miles from the US-Mexico border, Saturday night.
Yuma police announced the double homicide on Facebook Sunday morning, stressing that there were no suspects in custody amid what remains an active investigation.
At about 10:54 p.m. Saturday, the department said it was responding to a report of shots fired at the 3800 block of S. Edward Drive, Yuma Police Sgt. Lori Franklin wrote.
Upon arrival, officers found several people with gunshot wounds. A 19-year-old man was transported before police arrived and was pronounced dead a short time later at Yuma Regional Medical Center, the department said. A second victim, a 20-year-old man, was transported by Yuma Fire Department to Yuma Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced deceased. A third victim, a 16-year-old man, was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center and later flown to Phoenix with life-threatening injuries.
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The other gunshot victims, men aged 15, 19, 18 and 16, had non-life-threatening injuries, police said. A total of 7 victims were treated at Yuma Regional Medical Center.
According to the police, there were several off-duty law enforcement officers who assisted in this incident.
Aerial view of a fence at the US-Mexico border on May 13, 2023 in Yuma, Arizona. Border Patrol released migrants after Title 42 ended. (Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)
Anyone with any information on the case is encouraged to call the Yuma Police Department at (928) 373-4700 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous. “Remember, if your information leads to an arrest, you could receive a reward of up to $1,000,” Franklin wrote.
ABC News first reported that police responded to a call about a “heavy assault” on South J Edward Drive just before 11 p.m. local time. Yuma police lieutenant Craig Johnson told the outlet that seven people had been transported to hospital, and while officers had no suspect in custody, there was no credible ongoing threat to the community.
Fox News Digital contacted Yuma police by phone and email early Sunday to seek details about the shooting, but did not hear back before publication.
The shooting took place at a time when the border town of about 97,000 is experiencing a large influx of migrants crossing the border.
Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls appeared on Fox News Friday to sound the alarm that Border Patrol had begun releasing migrants onto the streets a day after Title 42 expired.
Migrants in a transition facility following their release from Border Patrol in Yuma, Arizona, on Friday, May 12, 2023. Title 42 ended on Thursday. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Border patrols in the Yuma sector have banned almost a record number. Yesterday there were 1,550 people who banned them. They have greatly exceeded their capacity and they are starting to be released on the streets. So no releases to NGOs that can help. Our NGOs are also So they essentially just let them loose on the curb,” Nicholls told Fox News host Neil Cavuto. “We had 100 plus or minus this morning, and this afternoon we’re looking at another 150 in the area.”
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The mayor, a Republican, noted that FEMA has not been activated to address the humanitarian needs of the migrant influx. On the same day, Nicholls sent a letter imploring President Biden to declare a national emergency over the migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border to “protect American communities subject to the damaging effects of the rampant flow of migrants to this country”. The letter details how the state of Arizona, Yuma County and other local cities have already declared a state of emergency, though Biden has not.
Migrants processed by Border Patrol and released will receive assistance from the Regional Center for Border Health on Friday, May 12, 2023 to move to areas outside of Yuma, in Somerton, Arizona. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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“Yuma, like many communities along the border, is subject to a serious lack of commitment from the federal government to provide effective policies under current immigration laws,” Nicholls wrote. “We see the cost of illegal activity as many migrants fall victim to cartels, who smuggle both drugs and people across the border into the US in dangerous and often deadly ways.”
This is an evolving story. Check back later for updates.
Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, police and more. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on Twitter: @danimwallace.
