Phoenix police said the shooter remained at large after officers cleared the west Phoenix mall.
PHOENIX, AZ — A 17-year-old boy died and a 16-year-old boy was injured after a shooting Tuesday night inside Desert Sky Mall in west Phoenix, where police locked down stores, evacuated shoppers and searched for the shooter.
The shooting brought a heavy police response to one of Maryvale’s main shopping centers and left homicide detectives reviewing evidence from inside the mall. Officers detained several people while clearing the building, but police said none was believed to be the shooter. The surviving teen was taken to a hospital and was recovering, while investigators had not released a suspect description or said what led to the gunfire.
Phoenix police were called to Desert Sky Mall, near 75th Avenue and Thomas Road, after reports of shots fired Tuesday night. Officers arrived as stores were closing or going into lockdown and shoppers were being moved out of the building. Police and fire crews found two teenage boys with gunshot wounds. The 17-year-old was taken to a hospital with critical injuries and later died. The 16-year-old was also taken to a hospital. Witness Andy Dominguez said he heard several shots while walking inside the mall. “We were just walking when we heard the gunshots. It was about six of them,” Dominguez said.
Video from the scene showed more than a dozen police vehicles around the mall as officers secured the property. Police said multiple people were detained during the first sweep of the building, but investigators did not identify any of them as the shooter. Officials said the shooting happened inside the mall, but they had not released the exact store or area where the gunfire began. Police also had not publicly named the teen who died as of the latest reports. Detectives were working to collect surveillance video and other evidence from the shopping center.
Desert Sky Mall is at 7611 W. Thomas Road and includes more than 130 stores and restaurants. The mall serves west Phoenix and the Maryvale area and is described by its operators as a bilingual shopping center for Hispanic families across the Phoenix area. The shooting disrupted a busy evening at a mall that includes national retailers, food vendors and entertainment businesses. The mall was closed while police investigated and later reopened Wednesday after the overnight search and evidence work.
The investigation was being handled as a homicide after the 17-year-old died. Police said detectives were trying to identify the shooter and determine what led to the shooting. No arrests had been announced, and no charges had been filed. Investigators had not said whether the two teens were targeted, whether they knew the shooter or whether anyone else was involved. Police said the search for the suspect was continuing after the mall reopened June 3.
Dominguez described a chaotic scene after the gunfire. “We saw the cops outside, and then it was just a lot of cops,” he said. “I just saw families hiding with their kids and stuff.” He said he left the mall after hearing the shots. “It’s just sad that we’re at a place where a lot of families are at, and we were just trying to enjoy our time and then stuff like that happens,” Dominguez said.
The case remained open Friday, with Phoenix police still seeking the shooter and reviewing mall surveillance. The next major step is the release of any suspect information, arrest announcement or identification of the teen who died.
Author note: Last updated June 5, 2026.