On a Sunday afternoon in Phoenix, Arizona, the life of 18-year-old Fiasia Perry was tragically cut short. The young Black/African American woman was fatally wounded on January 13, 2019, in a burst of gunfire that erupted outside a motel situated near 25th Street and Van Buren. The incident, which also left five other people injured, unfolded shortly before noon.
The violence was reportedly preceded by a verbal altercation between two men and a larger group on the second floor of the motel. What began as a dispute quickly escalated into an exchange of gunfire between the two groups. In the chaos that ensued, Fiasia Perry, also known as 'Fy,' was struck by the gunfire. She was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to her injuries. The other victims, three men and two women ranging in age from 19 to 41, were also transported to the hospital for treatment of their wounds.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, police reported that one of the suspects had been shot and wounded during the incident. Authorities also stated they were actively searching for a second male suspect who was involved in the altercation and subsequent shooting.
Despite the initial reports of a wounded suspect and an ongoing search for another, publicly available information since 2019 has not provided any updates on arrests or the identification of the second suspect. The case remains a painful memory for those who knew Fiasia, who was remembered by friends as outgoing, funny, and loving, with a beautiful spirit and a loud, boisterous laugh. In a final act of generosity, her family chose to donate her organs, a decision that saved the lives of four other people.
