2018 Scottsdale shootings
Part of mass shootings in the United States
LocationScottsdale, Arizona, United States
DateMay 30–June 4, 2018
05:20 pm EDT
Attack type
Spree shooting
Weapon
Deaths7 (including the perpetrator)
Injured0
PerpetratorDwight Lamon Jones

In May and June 2018, a spree killer sought out and fatally shot six people in Scottsdale, Arizona, United States. The shooting spree began on May 30 and ended June 4, when the shooter killed himself as police closed in. The shooter was identified as 56-year-old Dwight Lamon Jones.

Shootings

The victims of the initial shootings were a noted forensic psychiatrist, two paralegals, and a counselor; all were shot within 24 hours of each other and within a 10-mile (16 km) radius in Scottsdale and Phoenix. The other two victims were discovered June 4.[3]

Steven Pitt, aged 59, a well-known forensic psychiatrist, was shot and killed outside his office at 5:20 pm on Thursday, May 31.[4] Pitt had examined Jones in connection with a "bitter" divorce.[5][6] In 2006, Pitt helped the police identify the Baseline killer who had raped and murdered a series of women in Phoenix, Arizona.[4][7]

Veleria Sharp (aged 48) and Laura Anderson (aged 49), both paralegals, were shot dead at 2:15 pm on Friday, June 1, in the downtown Scottsdale offices of Burt, Feldman, Grenier, the law firm where they worked.[8][6] A lawyer at the firm had worked on the Jones divorce.[9] By 11:30 pm on Friday, June 1, police knew that the same gun had been used to kill Anderson, Sharp and Pitt.[6]

The body of 72-year old Marshall Levine, a psychologist and counselor, was found just after midnight, as Friday turned to Saturday, June 2, in his Scottsdale office.[8] Levine was subletting his office from a woman who had provided counseling services to his son during the divorce, Jones' intended target.[5][6]

By Sunday afternoon, police had Jones under surveillance as he drove around Fountain Hills in his gold Mercedes Benz. At one point, Jones ditched a small bag containing a .22-caliber pistol, which police later determined to belong to one of two people, 70-year-old Mary Simmons and her husband, 72-year-old Bryon Thomas, who were shot and killed inside a Fountain Hills home. They had no connection to the divorce case but may have been acquaintances of Dwight Jones. Their bodies were not discovered until June 4. Police stated that ballistics ruled out the .22-caliber gun from having been used in any of the shootings.

Investigation

The break in the investigation came when Jones' ex-wife issued a statement saying her current husband, a retired Phoenix police detective, "recognized the connection to my divorce and the three crime scenes and he notified the Phoenix Police violent crime unit on Saturday (June 2) night."[5][9] Once Jones was made a suspect, a DNA sample was obtained from a relative of Jones and matched to a DNA sample from a recovered shell casing.[3]

Perpetrator

The perpetrator was identified as 56-year-old Dwight Lamon Jones who had previously been arrested.[3] According to Rich Slavin, an assistant chief with the Scottsdale Police Department, Jones was arrested in 2008 or 2009 on charges of domestic violence, alleging that he mistreated his wife and a child.[9] Jones had been living at Extended Stay hotels for the past nine years.[9] He committed suicide before he was apprehended.

His former wife told reporters that she "feared for my safety for the past nine years."[9] She also said, "He was a very emotionally disturbed person as the court records will confirm."[3] Less than a week before the spree killings Jones used social media to attempt to bring forward allegations that his ex-wife was the abuser and not Jones.[10] Jones created almost 10 hours of content outlining what he viewed as a conspiracy by his ex-wife, psychiatrists, lawyers and the Maricopa County Judicial system to rig a divorce and custody case to steal his son from him.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Burkitt, Bree; Garcia, Uriel; Woods, Alden (June 6, 2018). "Scottsdale shooting case: A legally owned .40 caliber connects case full of mysteries". Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  2. ↑ Flaherty, Joseph (June 4, 2018). "Disputed Divorce Led Dwight Jones to Commit Mass Murder, Cops Say". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Ralph Ellis; Eric Levenson; Artemis Moshtaghian. "Scottsdale homicide suspect identified; he's linked to six killings". CNN. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Forensic Psychiatrist Who Aided JonBenet Ramsey Probe Killed". New York Times. AP. June 1, 2018. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 Ellis, Ralph; Park, Madison; Moshtaghian, Artemis; Almasy, Steve (June 4, 2018). "DNA, shoe leather help Arizona police identify killer of 6". CNN. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Ryman, Ann; Garcia, Uriel (June 4, 2018). "Six people killed by Scottsdale murder suspect, police say". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  7. ↑ Williams, Corey (November 1, 2012). "Michigan shooter has residents on edge". Telegraph Herald. ProQuest 1125155998.
  8. 1 2 Phillips, Kristine (June 4, 2018). "Suspect in Arizona killings fatally shoots himself in hotel room as officers close in, police say". Washington Post. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Stevens, Matt; Haag, Matthew (June 4, 2018). "Arizona Man Left a Trail of 6 Bodies, Police Believe, Then Added His Own". New York Times. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  10. ↑ Flaherty, Joseph (June 6, 2018). "Days Before Shooting Started, Scottsdale Murder Suspect Sought Media Attention". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  11. ↑ Anglen, Robert; Burkitt, Bree; Kiefer, Michael; Woods, Alden (June 5, 2018). "Scottsdale shooting suspect left divorce full of discord, YouTube channel full of grudges". Retrieved December 29, 2020.
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