AZCentral.com reports the suspect is in Arizona State University Police custody following his alleged shooting spree. Local media have identified the suspect as 41-year-old Ryan Giroux, who was released from prison in 2013 after serving nearly seven years for burglary.
Giroux’s criminal record also includes a marijuana violation, attempted assault, theft and second-degree burglary. His tattoos indicate affiliation with a white supremacist gang.
Earlier Wednesday, police scoured the area around the Longmore apartment complex, as well as another building at Dobson and 8th Avenue, in search of a suspect described as a white male in his 40s with a neck tattoo wearing a gray shirt and black shorts or pants.
The Arizona Republic reports the rampage began around 8:45 a.m. at the Tri-City Inn, 1504 W. Main St., when at three people were shot in a motel room, according to police. One of the victims died. The gunman then ran to Bistro 13, a nearby restaurant operated by the East Valley Institute of Technology, where he carjacked a vehicle, shooting an EVIT student in the shoulder during the robbery.
Giroux fled in the victim’s gray Honda Accord, as the wounded man ran across the street to be treated by firefighters responding to the initial shootings. Multiple other victims were shot during robbery or home invasion attempts, police said.
Mesa Detective Esteban Flores told KSAZ that the motive for the shootings remains unclear.
Several local locations were placed on lockdown as law enforcement officers escalated their manhunt. The Arizona Department of Public Safety sent its SWAT team to Mesa to assist with the search, DPS spokesman Bart Graves told reporters. Police from neighboring Scottsdale dispatched SWAT and canine units to assist.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said “our hearts and prayers are with the people of Mesa, the individuals affected by this tragedy, and all law enforcement and first responders working to assist the victims.”
