In the early morning hours of July 20, 2021, a fatal altercation unfolded at a Phoenix apartment complex near the intersection of 25th and Glenrosa avenues, claiming the life of 16-year-old Romeo Perkins. Phoenix police responded to a call about a shooting at approximately 4 a.m. and discovered the young male deceased at the scene. Investigators quickly determined that Perkins had been shot following a dispute.
The investigation into the death of the male teenager led authorities to
identify 18-year-old Dupree Rollins as the primary suspect. In a turn of events that added a layer of tragedy to the situation, Romeo's family revealed that they had provided shelter for Rollins for three weeks prior to the shooting after Romeo had asked his mother to help the then-homeless young man. Following Romeo's death, his family reportedly received threatening Snapchat messages from Rollins, in which he allegedly indicated the attack was planned.
Less than a month after the shooting, on August 27, 2021, Dupree Rollins was arrested and subsequently booked into jail on first-degree murder charges in connection with Romeo Perkins's death. While the specifics of what led to the argument have not been publicly detailed by law enforcement, the arrest brought a suspect to justice in the shooting that ended a young life.
