Over 15 law enforcement officers responded to a gun fight in Ash Fork on Friday morning.
According to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, shortly after midnight deputies and criminal investigators, along with deputies from Coconino Sheriff’s Office and troopers with the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), responded to the scene of a shooting in Ash Fork off Cooks Trail. The 911 call said two people had been shot and the “guy with the gun” allegedly said he would not put the gun down when law enforcement showed up.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) SWAT team was also called in. However, deputies discovered that two victims appeared to have life threatening gunshot wounds necessitating immediate medical attention. According to YCSO, “They made the courageous decision to help the victims prior to SWAT’s arrival.”
One man who was uninjured surrendered without incident, while a YCSO deputy attended to the multiple leg wounds of one male and DPS and Coconino deputies attended to another man with head wounds. The seriousness of the injuries, and the probability that an ambulance would have difficulty getting to the area of the incident, prompted YCSO deputies to take the victims in their own vehicles to EMS. The victims were then flown to area hospitals.
The status of both gunshot victims is unknown.
After a search of the scene law enforcement found multiple weapons, numerous shell casings and a blood trail leading to a nearby home. Deputies searched the area checking for additional victims, of which none were found.
“Law enforcement did a fantastic job getting the wounded individuals out and safely securing the scenes for the investigators,” YCSO Criminal Investigations Bureau Lieutenant Michael Dannison stated. “The deputies were courageous and did the right thing for the victims.”
YCSO is currently investigating the crime and interviewing multiple suspects.
