Gustavo Gonzalez, a 38-year-old male, was killed on September 26, 2025, in what appears to have been a random and tragic act of violence in Tempe, Arizona. On that Friday afternoon, just after 3 p.m., Gonzalez was sitting in his car at an apartment complex near Curry and Scottsdale roads, preparing to leave for a church function. Without warning, a barrage of bullets struck his vehicle. Neighbors heard the gunfire and upon looking out, saw Gonzalez in his car and immediately called 911.
When police arrived, they found him with multiple serious injuries. He was rushed to a local hospital, but ultimately succumbed to his wounds.
The investigation into the shooting led police to a nearby apartment belonging to 39-year-old Blaine Blystone. From a window in his apartment, Blystone had reportedly fired as many as 22 rounds into Gonzalez's car, striking him at least seven times. Following the shooting, Blystone set his own apartment on fire and then shot himself in the stomach in an apparent suicide attempt. Police located Blystone as he was attempting to leave through his garage. Initially, he claimed to be a victim, telling officers that unknown individuals had shot him and started the fire. However, evidence at the scene quickly implicated him in both the shooting and the arson.
After undergoing surgery for his self-inflicted gunshot wound, Blystone was arrested on October 5, 2025, upon his release from the hospital. During questioning, he admitted to the attack, stating that it was targeted, though he did not personally know Gustavo Gonzalez. Blystone, who described himself as an 'online gamer,' told investigators he had been receiving threats through the online platform Discord. This led him to believe, in a paranoid state, that Gonzalez was somehow connected to these online threats. Blystone has been booked into jail and faces charges of first-degree murder, arson, and unlawful discharge of a firearm.
