Police said the case appears likely tied to domestic violence, though the investigation remains open.
SIERRA VISTA, AZ — A 43-year-old Sierra Vista woman and a dog were found dead after a shooting Wednesday at an apartment complex on 7th Street, police said, while an injured man was taken to a hospital.
The Sierra Vista Police Department identified the woman as Calisha Schafer, of Sierra Vista. Officers found her dead inside an apartment in the 300 block of 7th Street after the shooting was reported Wednesday, May 20. Police said a man with a gunshot wound to his hand was found on the steps of the building and was taken for medical care. A dog also was found dead inside the home.
Investigators have not announced charges, released the injured man’s name or said who fired the shots. Police said there was no ongoing threat to the public after the scene was secured. Sgt. Jene Seage of the Sierra Vista Police Department said the case appeared likely to be domestic in nature, but he stopped short of making a final finding while detectives continued to gather evidence. “Odds are likely that it was a domestic incident,” Seage said. “I can’t say for sure, but that will all come out once further details are released.”
The shooting drew police to the apartment complex in a residential part of Sierra Vista, a Cochise County city near the U.S.-Mexico border and Fort Huachuca. Officers found Schafer on the floor of the apartment. The wounded man was outside on the steps, police said. The dog was discovered dead in the residence. Authorities also reported finding numerous weapons and drug paraphernalia inside the apartment. Police have not said whether any weapon recovered at the scene was the firearm used in the shooting.
Neighbors said the police response rattled the area even after officers said the public was not in danger. Ric Essman, who lives nearby, said the presence of a weapon outside the building left people uneasy. “They said there’s no reason to worry about anything,” Essman said, “but you get somebody outside with a weapon, it’s something to worry about.” At least two neighbors described the case as a domestic violence incident between the man and woman, but police said the final account would depend on the investigation.
The case brought renewed attention to Schafer’s recent contact with the criminal justice system. Court records and earlier reports show she had faced drug and DUI-related charges. In 2019, she was one of three people arrested after Cochise County sheriff’s deputies reported finding methamphetamine in a Sierra Vista hotel room. She was facing a probation violation at the time. Last month, she was arrested after a wrong-way crash in Sierra Vista and faced charges including aggravated DUI, aggravated assault, endangerment, criminal damage, resisting arrest, attempted vehicle theft and burglary.
That April 8 crash happened near Avenida Cochise and Buffalo Soldier Trail, where authorities said Schafer was driving the wrong way before hitting another vehicle, rolling several times and crashing into an electrical box. Debris from the crash damaged several vehicles in the parking lot of Cochise Motorsports. Reports from that incident said she tried to run and attempted to get into another person’s vehicle before she was arrested. Police have not said whether any of those earlier cases had a connection to Wednesday’s shooting.
The shooting was one of several serious police matters reported in and around Sierra Vista within a short span. On May 14, a man was arrested on an attempted murder charge after an incident at a home in the 500 block of Carmichael Avenue. On May 19, two people were arrested after a shelter-in-place incident near South Lariat Road and East Corral Drive in Hereford. Police did not say those cases were connected to the 7th Street shooting.
The Sierra Vista case also came during a stretch of shootings reported across southern Arizona. On May 15, two people were injured in a double shooting in Green Valley that the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said was accidental and not life-threatening. On May 18, two people were injured in a shooting near East 22nd Street and South Harrison Road in Tucson. Tucson police said the suspect and victim were stable and that the investigation was ongoing.
Detectives in Sierra Vista are expected to continue reviewing the scene, weapons, medical findings and witness statements before deciding whether to seek charges. Police have not released the dog’s owner, the relationship between Schafer and the wounded man, or the man’s condition. The department said more details would be released as the investigation allows.
As of Friday, May 22, the Sierra Vista Police Department had identified Schafer as the woman killed and said the investigation remained active. No arrest or court hearing had been announced in connection with the shooting.
Author note: Last updated May 22, 2026.