On May 26, 2023, 41-year-old Stephen Young was shot and killed in Mesa, Arizona. Authorities say Young, who had been homeless and living with mental illness, spent his final hours with the man later accused of the broader shooting spree; the two reportedly met at a Circle K convenience store and rode the light rail together. According to the suspect’s confession, a dispute over drugs — the suspect said he wanted marijuana and Young wanted fentanyl — ended when Young was shot in the head. Young’s sister disputes the claim that he used fentanyl.

Investigators linked Young’s killing to three other deadly shootings and one injury across Mesa and Phoenix by matching shell casings to a single 9mm handgun and locating surveillance footage placing the suspect near multiple scenes. The person believed responsible, 20-year-old Iren Byers, was arrested, later led police to the clothing and handgun allegedly used, and was charged in the fatal incidents. Court documents say a possible motive was anger toward people who used drugs, and most victims were unhoused.

Did anyone who knew Stephen or saw him that night notice him at the Circle K or on the light rail?