A Tempe neighborhood was blocked off for more than 13 hours Friday after three people were shot. One person has died and the others are hospitalized in "extremely critical condition."
The shooting happened around 5 a.m. Friday at a home near Price Road and Apache Boulevard.
Police said officers responded to a "very active" situation where all three victims had multiple gun shot wounds. Two of those injured were found inside the building and a third was found in the backyard.
Lt. Mike Pooley, spokesman for Tempe police department, said two men got into an argument and one of them pulled out a gun and began shooting. A third person, who Pooley described as a "Good Samaritan" took out a weapon and began shooting at the gunman, but was also hit in the exchange.
All three were taken to the hospital. One man, identified as 34-year-old Gregory Wheeler, has died. The other two are still hospitalized, but their names have not been released.
Wheeler's father told ABC15 that his son was a counselor who worked with and counseled drug addicts. He had been called out to the property Thursday night.
Police called the entire ordeal a complicated investigation as there were so many people at the scene. Ten people, all believed to be homeless, were detained at the scene for questioning.
Pooley said on the property is a main house, a large yard and a small house. He said many homeless people camp out there.
A resident who lived in the house closest to the street said he rented the home and had just learned the property had been sold a couple months ago. As soon as the property was sold he said he noticed a lot of people started coming and going from the property and the tent city sprouted up in the backyard.
"We tried to get them to stop coming but the police wouldn't do nothing about it, so we couldn't do nothing about it either," said the man who did not want to be identified.
Police said they've responded to several complaints at the property, including loud music, noise, trespassing, loose animals and fights.
"It just kind of makes me upset because I'm sitting out here on the street and I don't got nothing to do with it."
Police expect the investigation to last into the evening.
