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The Associated Press

Suspect arrested in 5 separate shootings in Phoenix metro area that left 4 dead

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A suspect has been arrested in connection with five separate shootings in the Phoenix metro area that left four people dead and a woman wounded, authorities said Sunday.

Mugshot
Iren Byers, arrested in connection with five separate shootings in the Phoenix metro area that left four people dead and a woman wounded.
Courtesy of Mesa Police Department via AP

Mesa police said 20-year-old Iren Byers was taken into custody Sunday on suspicion of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.

A motive for the shootings wasn’t immediately clear, but police said Byers took responsibility for the shootings and told officers where they could find the clothes and gun used in the crimes.

Police said video surveillance footage showed the suspect wearing the clothing reported by witnesses at multiple shooting scenes.

The names of the victims were being withheld Sunday until relatives could be notified. It was unclear Sunday if Byers has a lawyer yet who could speak on his behalf.

Police said officers were dispatched around 10:30 p.m. Friday to a Mesa park and found a 41-year-old man dead at the scene.

While still at the park, police reported hearing shots being fired nearby and searched the area and later found a 36-year-old woman with serious injuries. She remains in stable condition at a hospital.

Police said they received a call about a body near a Mesa bus station around 1 a.m. Sunday.

They said officers discovered a 41-year-old man dead at the scene and then another dead man just after 2 a.m.

Authorities said all of the victims had gunshot wounds. They also said shell casings recovered from the shooting scenes were all linked to the same 9mm handgun, including a fatal shooting Friday afternoon in Phoenix.

Details of the Phoenix shooting haven’t been released yet.