In the late summer of 2015, an argument outside a Phoenix hotel escalated into a fatal encounter for 18-year-old Keith Steele. The young man and his 17-year-old girlfriend were at the La Quinta Inn near Interstate 17 and Thomas Road on a Monday when a dispute broke out with another individual. The verbal confrontation quickly turned violent.
The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Elijah Shelton III, allegedly brandished a handgun and began firing at the couple as they attempted to flee
through the hotel parking lot. In the midst of the chaos, Steele was fatally wounded. His girlfriend sustained minor injuries during the incident.
Authorities reported that Steele had also fired a handgun, which discharged small pellets and caused a slight injury to Shelton. This injury led Shelton to seek treatment at a hospital, which is where police were ultimately able to locate and apprehend him. Following the investigation into the shooting, Elijah Shelton III was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault in connection with the death of Keith Steele.
