3 killed, 5 injured after shooting outside Arizona restaurant, authorities say

PHOENIX — A fight during a crowded dance party at a mariscos and steak restaurant in Arizona escalated into a gun battle in the parking lot, leading to three deaths, including a minor, authorities said.

Officers responded to calls reporting a shooting around 7:45 p.m. at El Camaron Gigante Mariscos & Steakhouse on May 4, said Glendale Police Department Public Information Officer Moroni Mendez at a news conference. Three people died from their injuries, and five more were wounded by gunfire or shrapnel, he added.

Police believe there was more than one person who fired a weapon at the scene. So far, no one has been arrested, but multiple people were detained for questioning, Mendez said.

The restaurant is in Glendale, Arizona, a city of about 254,000 people located northwest of downtown Phoenix. Investigators were working to identify suspects, Glendale police spokesperson Jose Santiago said on May 5.

Authorities identified the shooting victims

The three people who died were brothers Damien Anthony Sproule, 17, and Christopher Juaquin Sproule, 21, as well as Milo Christopher Suniga, 21, police said.

An event at the restaurant at the time of the shooting appeared to be hosted by a group called "On a Sunday Afternoon." A Facebook post promoting the event promised "a family-friendly celebration" with "music, lowriders and good vibes all day long."

The brothers who were killed attended the event to try and make friends, said Roberta Villarreal, a friend of their father, the morning after the violence.

"They were good kids. They didn’t deserve this," said Villarreal, 52, as she began sobbing about a block from the deadly shooting. Just moments earlier, she stood with the victims' father as he wept.Villarreal, of north Phoenix, said she thought of the brothers as her nephews.

A 16-year-old boy was critically injured, requiring surgery, though police said he was expected to recover. Two women, 20 and 21, and two men, 20 and 23, were also injured, authorities said.

Police: 'Bad blood' between individuals before the shooting

People who attended the May 4 event said it was a day of music, food, and dancing.

"Everyone was having fun," said Glendale resident Laria Carbajal, 23.

Then the crowd started leaving. Amy Jones, 23, also of Glendale, said she didn’t hear any shots fired. But after leaving, she "just saw my friend on the ground."

Santiago said the incident was isolated and stemmed from the individuals having a history of "bad blood," adding it was unknown how those feuding knew each other. There were multiple shooters, he said, and some of the injured were potentially just bystanders.

It was unclear whether those wounded were in the restaurant or in the parking lot when the shooting began, Santiago added. Santiago said that about 200 to 300 people were at the event.

The restaurant's management posted on social media that they were working closely with law enforcement. "Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and all affected by this senseless violence," the restaurant posted May 5 on Instagram.

There have been 30 police calls for service to the restaurant since it first opened on May 8, 2024, according to records obtained by The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Mass shootings in the U.S.

There have been at least 97 mass shootings in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that defines such incidents as those in which at least four people are shot, not including the gunman. On the same day as the Glendale shooting, a family barbeque in Houston erupted in gunfire, leaving at least one person dead and injuring 14 others.

Following the shooting, the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix released a statement that referenced the incident and reminded people that they can contact the consulate if they "require consular assistance or protection."

U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Arizona, issued a statement the morning after the shooting, decrying the violence and calling for greater gun control. She represents the congressional district where the shooting occurred.

"For too long, Americans have been forced to watch as gun violence affects every corner of our communities–schools, movie theaters, places of worship, and local restaurants like El Camaron Gigante," Ansari said. "Commonsense policy reform to regulate guns has broad, bipartisan support. It’s long past time we stand up and do something."