A teenager tried to crash a private Halloween party in Mesa early Saturday, got turned away at the door, and opened fire on the security guard. An off-duty officer working the event shot back, and the street turned into a shootout.
It went down around 1:05 a.m. outside Versalles Reception Hall near Main and Stapley. Denied entry to the private party, the teen pulled a gun at the door and fired at the security officer, Mesa police said. He missed.
He kept going. The teen ran toward a nearby car, still firing, and the off-duty officer and the guard chased him and returned fire. Both the teen and an adult man sitting in the car were hit. Neither injury is life-threatening.
“The juvenile suspect took out a firearm, pointed it at the security officer and fired at him.”
Mesa Police Detective Jose Aguirre
Even after being shot, the teen sprinted across Main Street before an on-duty officer cut him off. He pulled the gun from his waistband, set it on the ground, and gave up.
Scottsdale police are leading the officer-involved shooting review through the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team. Mesa police are handling the aggravated assault case against the teen. No names have been released.
“So, it was chaotic.”
Mesa Police Detective Jose Aguirre on partygoers scattering when the shooting started
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