Tammi Keckler, a 57-year-old White/Caucasian woman, was killed on August 28, 2023, inside the Peoria, Arizona, home she shared with her husband, William Keckler, and her adult son, Zacchary Delane Sumrall. Shortly after 4 p.m., Peoria police received a call from Sumrall reporting that he had shot his mother and stepfather at the residence near 79th Lane and Jomax Road.
Officers and paramedics responding to the home found Tammi and 60-year-old William suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, including wounds to their heads. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
According to court documents and statements investigators attributed to Sumrall, the violence began with a conversation in the kitchen about his finances and his failure to contribute to the household. Investigators said Sumrall became angry during the discussion and told his mother, “You’re dead to me.” William attempted to calm the situation and encouraged him to apologize. Tammi reportedly told her son that she did not want an apology and instead wanted him to gather his belongings and move out of the home.
Sumrall told investigators that he became extremely angry, went upstairs to his bedroom and retrieved a holstered handgun from a cabinet. William followed him upstairs and asked him to surrender the weapon. According to Sumrall’s account to police, he hesitated before drawing the gun, pointing it at his stepfather and shooting him several times. Tammi, who remained downstairs, began screaming after the gunfire. Sumrall allegedly told detectives that he then rushed downstairs, saw what he described as a blur that he knew was his mother, aimed the handgun and fired at her several times. Investigators said Sumrall acknowledged that neither Tammi nor William was armed or presented a physical threat to him.
After the shootings, Sumrall reportedly unloaded the firearm and placed it on a table near the front door before contacting police. During the 911 call, he admitted shooting his mother and stepfather and told the dispatcher where he had left the weapon. He remained at the residence as officers approached and surrendered without incident. Court records state that while he was being taken into custody, Sumrall spontaneously told officers that he had killed his parents. Police subsequently recovered a Glock handgun from near the entrance of the home along with cartridge casings near Tammi’s body. Sumrall also told detectives that after shooting his mother, he hugged her and got blood on his clothing.
Sumrall was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County Jail. Prosecutors accused him of two counts of first-degree premeditated murder in connection with the deaths of Tammi and William Keckler. A judge initially set a $1 million secured appearance bond, with electronic monitoring and other restrictions required if he were released. The publicly accessible news reports surrounding the case document the arrest and first-degree murder charges, but the sources located do not provide a reliable subsequent account of a trial verdict or final sentencing disposition.
