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Writer's pictureVictor Nwoko

Rookie Officer and Bystander Killed in Shooting at Arizona Dance; Two Suspects in Custody

Officer Joshua Briese (Gila River Police Department)

Two individuals are in police custody following a tragic shooting that left rookie police officer Joshua Briese and a bystander dead during a dance at the Gila River Indian Reservation in Arizona early Saturday, authorities said.


The FBI is investigating the incident, confirming Sunday that the two suspects — one adult and one juvenile, who have not been identified — are in custody and receiving medical care. Another police officer, Briese’s field training officer, is in "serious but stable" condition. Four additional individuals were also shot, one of whom has died, while the others are being treated at local hospitals.


"Our hearts and prayers are with these police officers, their families, and everyone impacted by this tragic incident," the FBI said in a statement.


In response to the shooting, the Gila River Indian Community Council held a meeting Saturday and decided to impose a moratorium on dances.


An eyewitness at the dance described the chaotic scene to NBC affiliate KPNX of Phoenix. "It was scary. I was scared when I heard the gunshots; we all dropped to the ground," the individual said, requesting anonymity.


Tributes poured in for Officer Briese from police forces, lawmakers, and community groups. The Gila River Police Department expressed their condolences on Facebook, stating, “Our hearts and prayers are with these police officers, their families, and everyone impacted by this tragic incident.”


Stephen Roe Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community, released a statement expressing the community's grief: “I know I speak for our entire Community when I say that we grieve for our fallen and injured police officers and every Community member touched by such tragic violence. Nothing cuts deeper than a life cut short.”


Briese's father, Dave Briese, was a sheriff's deputy who died in a car crash in 2006. The Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office acknowledged the connection on their Facebook page, stating, "Knowing Dave & Josh are together again, both left this world serving their community and doing what they loved."


The Arizona Trooper’s Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 32 noted on X that the other injured officer was Briese’s field training officer.

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