MESA, AZ — Police said a 12-year-old girl is alive after running to a neighbor's home after a shooting inside another home Monday night left three people dead, the result of an apparent murder-suicide.
Authorities said the girl was taken to the hospital and at last check was listed in stable condition.
Officers were called to the home, near Elliot and Meridian roads, around 8:20 p.m. on Monday after the girl, who had a minor gunshot wound, ran to a neighbor's home asking for help, police said.
Inside the home, police found Ruben Sanchez, 51, and his wife, Ana Guerra, 49, and Amy Sanchez, 18, dead with apparent gunshot wounds. Police also found a weapon and ammunition inside the home.
New insight into what Mesa police believe was a murder-suicide near Meridian/Elliot.
— Mike Pelton (@MikePeltonABC15) March 9, 2021
A friend (on left) shared pictures of 18yo Amy Sanchez, one of three people found dead inside the home.
A 12yo girl, who was also shot, survived and got help from a neighbor @ABC15 pic.twitter.com/WHJGjHYz2X
Authorities have not yet said who shot whom but are investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide. The name of the girl has not been released.
"I grabbed her. We pulled her into our front porch, sat her down because she was bleeding really good, started applying pressure, grabbed my phone, we both called 911 and then we heard a gunshot," said Kace, a neighbor who did not want to provide her last name.
Just talked with a neighbor who called 911 and helped a girl who was hurt in #Mesa shooting near Elliot & Signal Butte. Girl survived -- three others did not. Waiting for update from @MesaPD @abc15 pic.twitter.com/bmyzTlU5GP
— John Genovese (@JEGenovese) March 9, 2021
Later Tuesday, a friend of Amy's, Emma McKinnie, stopped by the home to leave flowers in memory of her friend.
"Amy was my best friend," she told ABC15. She said she was friends with Amy for several years and was close with the family.
"I'm a much better person because of her," she said. "She always had this positive radiance to her, she was always happy, she was always smiling. She wanted the best for everybody."
McKinnie didn't want to discuss the incident itself but said the family had recently gone out of town.
"I was supposed to be with Amy last night," McKinnie said. "I was supposed to be with her...and then I decided to go home and do some schoolwork instead."
As for the 12-year-old girl, McKinnie said she feels for her, and considered her to be a friend as well.
"We were always together," she said of Amy. "She just brought so much light into my life that I didn't even know was possible."
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
A family spokesperson says a Gofundme has been set up to help with medical costs for the surviving child, and funeral costs.
