‘So painful:” Loved ones remember those killed in Glendale mass shooting
GLENDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — A memorial is growing just steps away from where shots were fired outside a Glendale restaurant, leaving three people dead and five others injured in a mass shooting.
Relatives and friends of all three victims say they are in shock and searching for answers.
“At this point, I’m numb. I miss them,” said Jessica Ortega, the older sister of Christopher and Damien Sproule.
Christopher, 21, and Damien, 17, were both killed in the shooting. Ortega said the brothers had recently become fathers and only attended the event to pursue a fun activity.
“They were only there because they had gotten into a new hobby—lowriders,” Ortega said. “My brothers were trying to make friends so that they could get their cars out there.”
Glendale police say the shooting happened just before 8 p.m. Sunday outside El Camaron Gigante near Glendale and 59th avenues. Investigators believe the incident began with an argument inside the concert event and quickly escalated outside.
“We don’t know what happened. We were only told that they were in an argument inside the event,” Ortega said. But she says her brothers are not known to cause fights. “This would be out of their character most definitely. My brothers are the most non-confrontational people ever. They’re shy. It’s crazy they even found a hobby.”
Ortega said she received a difficult call Monday morning. “I haven’t slept. I got a call from the medical examiner at 8 o’clock this morning letting me know that my brothers’ autopsies will be done tomorrow and that we need to hurry and pick a funeral home,” she said.
The event, called “On a Sunday Afternoon,” is a gathering place for members of the lowrider community.
The third victim is 21-year-old Milo Suniga. His best friend, Robert Mandell, said Suniga was trying to break up the fight and was caught in the crossfire. “My friend got in between them and told them to back up and chill out,” Mandell said. “He had a chest patch right here, so he got shot in the chest. It just broke my heart, bro.”
Five people were also injured in the shooting: two women, ages 20 and 21, two men, ages 20 and 32, and a 16-year-old boy.
Police believe this was an isolated incident between two groups with a known history of conflict. They say there is no ongoing threat to the community. So far, no arrests have been made.
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