A dispute at a north Phoenix apartment complex on the evening of July 12, 2023, ended in gunfire that killed 23-year-old Sixto Gomez‑Zurito. Officers were dispatched just after 6:00 p.m. to 14221 North 51st Avenue near Thunderbird Road, and found Mr. Gomez‑Zurito with multiple gunshot wounds; he was taken to a hospital where he died.

Homicide detectives say the shooting grew out of a physical altercation between Mr. Gomez‑Zurito and 23-year-old Ignacio Alvarez, reportedly tied to an earlier incident in Mexico involving the victim and Alvarez’s mother and sister. Witnesses told investigators Alvarez lifted his shirt to show a handgun, the two men fell to the ground during a fight, the gun came out of its holster, and Alvarez then allegedly picked it up, pointed it at Mr. Gomez‑Zurito’s chest as he sat on the ground, and fired.

Afterward Alvarez reportedly placed the gun in his mother’s car, waited for police, and acknowledged his involvement. He was arrested, booked into the Maricopa County jail and charged with second-degree murder; bond was set at $150,000 cash-only. If anyone knew Mr. Gomez‑Zurito or saw the confrontation, please share what was seen.