An altercation at a small house party in Gilbert, Arizona, during the early morning hours of June 18, 2023, ended in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Jacob 'JJ' Levi Carlson. The Gilbert Police Department responded to a call about the shooting in the 100 block of West Moore Avenue shortly after midnight. Upon arrival, officers discovered Carlson with gunshot wounds to his chest and upper torso and immediately began performing life-saving measures.
Carlson, an Asian male, was transported
to a nearby hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. Friends and community members remembered him as a joyful person who brought laughter to others, and his death left a significant impact on those who knew him. He was later laid to rest at the Gilbert Memorial Park Cemetery & Funeral Home. The incident was described by police as isolated, with no other injuries reported at the party.
Following an extensive analysis of the evidence collected, investigators from the Gilbert Police Department identified a suspect in the shooting. On June 19, 2023, the day after the incident, police arrested 17-year-old Zachariah Brandon Ezell in connection with Carlson's death. Ezell was initially booked into the Durango Juvenile Detention Facility.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office subsequently charged Ezell as an adult. The charges filed against him included first-degree premeditated murder, burglary in the first degree, and disorderly conduct, among others. Authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive for the shooting.
