On a summer night in Phoenix, Arizona, a dispute at an apartment complex escalated into a fatal shooting, claiming the life of 25-year-old Elijah Hassan Muhammad, a Black male. The incident occurred on June 19, 2021, at the Tides at Deer Valley Apartments near 19th Avenue and Bell Road.
According to witnesses, the conflict began when Muhammad was told he had to move out of an apartment. When he did not leave, a man named Cody Thomas, 30, was called to help remove him.
An argument between Thomas and Muhammad quickly turned into a physical altercation. During the fight, Muhammad reportedly drew a firearm.
Thomas allegedly managed to take the gun from Muhammad and shot him at close range. As Muhammad tried to flee the apartment, Thomas is said to have pursued him, continuing to fire the weapon. After Muhammad fell to the ground, Thomas allegedly took a bag from him that contained several thousand dollars and fled the scene in a black Audi. Police arrived at approximately 1:30 a.m. to find several people attempting to administer first aid to Muhammad, who was lying in a rock garden area. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two days later, on June 21, 2021, Phoenix police arrested Cody Thomas in connection with the shooting. At the time of his arrest, Thomas was on parole for a previous felony conviction. He was subsequently charged with several serious offenses, including premeditated first-degree murder, first-degree murder, two counts of armed robbery with a weapon, possession of a weapon by a prohibited person, discharge of a firearm at a residence, and six counts of endangerment.
