On September 22, 2022, Brent Roosevelt Hester, a Black male, was fatally shot at a construction site located at the old Bisbee High School in Bisbee, Arizona, which was in the process of being converted into apartments. At the time of the incident, Hester was employed as a site supervisor for the renovation project. The man responsible for his death was identified as Matthew C.
Gistinger, a 26-year-old former employee who had been terminated by Hester the day prior to the shooting.
The events leading up to the tragic incident reveal a calculated plan. After being fired, Gistinger left Bisbee and traveled to Sierra Vista, where he purchased a rifle and ammunition. To disguise his appearance, he also bought clothing that resembled a United Parcel Service driver's uniform. Dressed in this attire, Gistinger returned to the construction site and opened fire on Hester, shooting him multiple times. An autopsy later confirmed that Hester sustained four gunshot wounds. In addition to the fatal assault on Hester, Gistinger also aimed the rifle at two other employees present at the scene, though he did not discharge the weapon at them.
Following the shooting, Gistinger himself contacted 911 and waited at the location until law enforcement arrived and placed him under arrest. Hester was transported to a local medical facility where he was pronounced deceased. Gistinger was subsequently charged with several offenses, including premeditated first-degree murder, misconduct with a weapon by a prohibited possessor, attempted escape from custody, and two counts each of aggravated assault and endangerment related to the other two employees. He was held at the Cochise County jail on a $100,000 cash bail.
Ultimately, Matthew C. Gistinger pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Brent Roosevelt Hester. In November 2023, a Cochise County judge sentenced him to life in prison, with the possibility of release after serving 25 years. He also received a 7.5-year sentence for aggravated assault for his actions towards the other workers. As of January 2024, Gistinger is incarcerated at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Tucson.
