7 People shot in Yuma as border chaos turns deadly

On Saturday night, Yuma, Arizona experienced a tragic and deadly incident when two young adults were killed and five other people were shot and injured in the 3800 block of S. Edward Drive. The Yuma Police Department announced the double homicide on Sunday and is seeking any information leading to an arrest, offering a cash reward of up to $1,000.

At approximately 10:54 p.m. on Saturday, Yuma police officers responded to a report of shots fired in the block. Upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered the victims with gunshot wounds.

A 19-year-old male and 20-year-old male were pronounced dead at the Yuma Regional Medical Center, while a 16-year-old male was transported to the same hospital and then flown to Phoenix with life-threatening injuries. The other gunshot victims, which include a 15-year-old, 19-year-old, 18-year-old, and 16-year-old male, all had non-life threatening injuries.

The tragic event happened during a period of crisis surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border, where the border city of nearly 97,000 residents has been affected by a substantial influx of migrants.

Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls had recently said that Border Patrol began releasing migrants after Title 42 expired, and no FEMA help had arrived to address the humanitarian needs of these migrants.

The Yuma Police Department is pleading for anyone with any knowledge of the incident to come forward and contact them at either (928) 373-4700 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463. As an incentive, they will be granting a reward of up to $1,000 for any information that leads to an arrest.