Police officer killed, five others injured in Arizona shooting

SANTAN, AZ – One Phoenix-area police officer was killed and another was injured, along with four other people, after a shooting Saturday morning in the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona.

Gila River police said around 2 a.m. they were dispatched to a home in the Santan area outside of Phoenix for a reported disturbance.

When officers arrived at the scene, one or more individuals fired shots when they encountered a large crowd of people. Six people were taken to area hospitals with various injuries. One of the officers, identified by authorities as Joshua Briese, later died.

The department says Officer Briese had been with the force for less than a year and was still in a field training program. The second injured officer was reportedly in serious but stable condition.

Police said at least one of the other four people shot also died. Specific conditions of the other injured were not immediately available, Scripps News Phoenix reported.

It was unclear Saturday whether one or more of the shooting suspects were still at large. No suspicious information was immediately released. Gila River police and the FBI are investigating.

Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis issued a statement Saturday morning saying, “We are coordinating closely with authorities to ensure we have a comprehensive understanding of what happened here. I know that “I speak on behalf of our entire community when I say we are grieving.” for our fallen and injured police officers and for every member of the community affected by such tragic violence.”

Lewis said, “Nothing is more profound than a life cut short. We will pray for our officers and their families, and for every community member, every loved one and every family affected by what happened this morning.”

This story was originally published by Scripps Phoenix News.