Mesa police are releasing more information about a shooting involving officers in Mesa early Tuesday morning.
According to officials, the unidentified man was shot by officers near Southern Avenue and Mesa Drive after making suicidal statements and alleging that he had a bomb.
When the man — who had a bulky object near his mid-section — was shot while attempting to light a fuse, police said.
Denise Ortega, a woman who lives in the area, said she dated the suspect briefly and he hadn’t been able to “move on.” She had an order of protection against the man and has called police in the past about complaints involving him.
Around 4:30 a.m. Ortega’s family member was leaving for work when he saw the suspect sitting on the front lawn. When he asked the man to leave he refused and started making threats about hurting himself and others, ABC15 learned.
Investigators discovered that the man was carrying four separate explosive devices connected through one wick. It was made of metal and homemade pipe bombs, a Mesa police spokesperson said.
The device was safely removed from the area and Lincoln Elementary School was placed on lockdown during the incident.
The suspect was taken to the hospital where he remains in stable condition. No officers were injured.
An investigation is ongoing and no additional information was released.
