On what should have been a joyous celebration, 24-year-old Primo John Verdone's life was tragically cut short in a mass shooting on his own birthday, August 28, 2010, in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. A gathering of friends at a residence on Opossum Drive turned into a scene of unimaginable horror when a gunman opened fire, killing five people and critically injuring another. Verdone, a male, was a United States Navy sailor who was eagerly awaiting training for his deployment to Afghanistan.
He had graduated from Lake Havasu High School in 2004 and had deep roots in the community.
The architect of this senseless violence was 26-year-old Brian Diez, the estranged ex-boyfriend of another victim, 23-year-old Deborah Langstaff. The birthday party for Verdone, who was Langstaff's new boyfriend, was tragically interrupted when Diez entered the home and began shooting at close range. The motive for the attack was rooted in ongoing domestic disputes between Diez and Langstaff, who had a protective order against him. Just weeks before the shooting, Diez had been arrested for violating that order.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Diez fled the scene with his two young children, a 13-month-old and a 4-year-old, prompting an Amber Alert. The search for Diez ended in Rancho Cucamonga, California, where he was found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a relative's home. Fortunately, his two children were found safe with other relatives. The other victims who lost their lives in the tragic shooting were identified as 20-year-old Ashley Nyland, her 42-year-old father Russell Nyland, and 20-year-old Brock Kelson. Ashley's mother, 44-year-old Deborah Nyland, was the sole survivor of the attack, despite being critically injured.
The Lake Havasu City community was left reeling from the devastating loss of five of its members in what was described as the worst shooting in the city's history. Primo John Verdone, a young man dedicated to serving his country, was remembered by family and friends for his enjoyable nature and his love for spending time with loved ones. His untimely death, along with the deaths of the other victims, serves as a grim reminder of the far-reaching consequences of domestic violence.
