Henry Smalley, 51, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of October 15, 2023, in a Phoenix business parking lot near 35th Avenue and Van Buren Street. Surveillance footage shows Smalley and another man, later identified as Ramon Gortarez, arriving separately, confronting each other inside the business, and the dispute continuing into the parking lot. Video depicts Smalley walking toward Gortarez’s car, Gortarez exiting the vehicle, and a gunshot that left Smalley stumbling and collapsing in the street.

Investigators initially thought a cell phone found near Smalley belonged to him, but the device was registered to Gortarez. Location data from the phone led police to a nearby residence; Gortarez had fled by the time officers arrived. Undercover surveillance followed him to several locations, including Tempe Marketplace, and he was eventually located and arrested. Gortarez told investigators the firearm discharged accidentally. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

If anyone witnessed the confrontation at the business or the moments afterward, or has information about what happened, please come forward.