Guadalupe Mercado

Guadalupe Mercado, a 44-year-old Hispanic man known to friends as Lupe, was remembered as a funny jokester who was kind and would help anyone. He worked at a local tire shop and was a familiar presence in his Phoenix, Arizona, community.

In the early morning hours of December 27, 2022, a visit to a convenience store turned fatal for Mr. Mercado. Just after midnight, around 12:30 a.m., he was inside a 7-Eleven near 75th Avenue and Camelback Road in west Phoenix when he was shot. The person responsible fled before police arrived. When officers responded to reports of the shooting, they found Mr. Mercado suffering from a gunshot wound. Personnel from the Phoenix Fire Department pronounced him dead at the scene.

Phoenix police detectives immediately launched a homicide investigation. They conducted a thorough review of surveillance camera footage from the store, which enabled them to identify a suspect in the fatal shooting. Investigators later served a search warrant that resulted in an arrest.

The suspect taken into custody was a teenage male whose name was not released because he is a minor. He was arrested and accused of several felony charges, including murder, and was referred to Juvenile Community Corrections.

As of January 2023, detectives were still working to determine the events that led up to the shooting and a possible motive. Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Phoenix Police Department or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.