In the late afternoon of a Friday in Phoenix, Arizona, a burst of violence shattered the day, forever altering the lives of several families. On February 3, 2023, near the intersection of 1st Avenue and Thomas Road, a drive-by shooting targeted a vehicle carrying multiple occupants. Among them was 15-year-old Isaac Perez Grado, a male who was struck by the gunfire.
The attack, which occurred at approximately 4:40 p.m., also injured a juvenile female who was with him in the vehicle.
First responders rushed to the chaotic scene, which spanned nearly four city blocks and left multiple businesses damaged by bullets. Isaac was transported to a local hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries. The young female companion was also hospitalized but was treated for non-life-threatening wounds. Tragically, after fighting for his life for three days, Isaac Perez Grado succumbed to his injuries on Monday, February 6, 2023.
The Phoenix Police Department immediately launched an intensive investigation into the shooting. Detectives worked diligently to piece together the events that led to the deadly assault. Their efforts soon focused on a number of teenage male suspects. Within days of the incident, the first arrest was made, with a teenage male being taken into custody and referred to the Juvenile Correction Center for murder. The investigation continued, leading to the identification and subsequent arrest of at least one additional teenage male suspect who was also booked on charges including murder. Police officials later confirmed that all suspects connected to the homicide had been identified and taken into custody.
