In a tragic turn of events on March 16, 2021, a domestic dispute in a west Phoenix home escalated into a violent shooting, claiming the lives of four people, including 62-year-old Hispanic male Isaias Tovar Sr. The incident, which unfolded at a residence near 65th Avenue and Camelback Road, also resulted in the deaths of Tovar's wife, Delia Noriega, age 66, and their son, Isaias Tovar Jr., age 31.
A 19-year-old male family member was also wounded in the shooting but survived his injuries.
According to Phoenix police, the gunman was 26-year-old Gilbert Gonzalez, the grandson of Isaias Tovar Sr. and Delia Noriega. Investigators believe that Gonzalez, who had been drinking and making suicidal statements, opened fire on his relatives. During the course of the tragic events, another family member inside the house returned fire, fatally wounding Gonzalez.
When police arrived at the scene following a call about the shooting, they discovered five people with gunshot wounds inside the home. Isaias Tovar Sr. and Delia Noriega were pronounced dead at the location. Isaias Tovar Jr. and Gilbert Gonzalez were transported to a local hospital where they were later pronounced dead. Due to the circumstances of the event, with the suspect being killed at the scene by another family member in the act of defending others, there were no ensuing arrests related to the homicides of the Tovar family.
