In the early hours of March 12, 2018, a dispute at a Phoenix, Arizona apartment complex near 19th and Glendale avenues escalated into deadly violence, claiming the life of 52-year-old Wol Ding, a Black/African American male. Responding to reports of a shooting, police discovered Ding at the scene with a fatal gunshot wound. Another man, 26-year-old Lual Deng, was also found with gunshot wounds and was rushed to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation
into the double homicide revealed that both Ding and Deng had been involved in an ongoing conflict with another individual. This individual, anticipating a confrontation, had brought two friends, 32-year-old Lloyd Lambert and 30-year-old Devane Lambert, for support. When the parties met, a physical altercation broke out, quickly leading to an exchange of gunfire. Both Wol Ding and Lual Deng were armed during the fatal encounter.
Later that same day, the Lambert brothers met with detectives at police headquarters. One of them had sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound during the shootout. The investigation revealed that both Lloyd and Devane Lambert were prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. As a result, both men were arrested and booked into jail on charges of misconduct involving weapons. Wol Ding was later laid to rest in Avondale, Arizona.
