On March 18, 2024, around 2:15 p.m., a triple shooting at an apartment complex near 45th Avenue and Thomas Road in Phoenix left 17-year-old Arlandis West Jr. dead and two others wounded. Officers found an adult male in the complex with at least one gunshot wound; he was taken to hospital with serious injuries and later identified as the suspect. Inside a nearby apartment, a juvenile female and Arlandis West Jr. were found with gunshot wounds. The female was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, while West Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene.

Homicide detectives say the shooting grew out of a disagreement between the suspect and West Jr. that escalated into a physical fight and an exchange of gunfire, with all three people being struck. The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Brazion Sheppard, was arrested after his release from medical care and booked on charges including first-degree murder, burglary, and aggravated assault; he is being held on a $1.25 million bond. Did anyone in the area see the confrontation before it turned deadly?