Scottsdale: Nine Arrested in Two Weeks After Short-Term Rental Shootings Leave Suspect Shot by Police

A pajama party. A drive-by shooting. Nine arrests.

The Scottsdale Police Department made nine arrests in two weeks after two separate shooting incidents at short-term rental properties, officials said. No bystanders were injured in either incident. One suspect was shot by police but has since been released from the hospital.

The arrests cover two distinct cases: a May 6 shooting that began at a Circle K near Camelback and Miller Roads, and an April 12 drive-by shooting at a rental property near 81st Street and Pine Drive.

The April 12 drive-by

Scottsdale police responded around 10:45 p.m. on April 12 to reports of shots fired at a short-term rental near 81st Street and Pine Drive, in the south end of the city near the Granite Reef Senior Center.

Officers found multiple bullet strikes on the residence and recovered numerous shell casings outside. Several adults were inside the home at the time of the shooting, though none were hit with gunfire.

"Investigators believe the shooting was a targeted retaliatory act connected to an armed robbery that occurred earlier that evening in Phoenix," said Officer Aaron Bolin.

Detectives identified the suspects through surveillance footage, forensic evidence, social media search warrants and coordination with partner agencies, according to a police press release. Multiple firearms were recovered.

The four men arrested in connection with the April 12 shooting are:

• Gabriel Chiruza Lunyerere, 21
• Kywan Jones, 24
• Jamir Smith, 22
• Michel "Ray" Kasereka, 20

All four were booked into jail on charges including discharging a firearm at a residence. Their initial court dates were set for May 19.

The May 6 pajama party shootings

The chaos started at 2 a.m. on May 6, with multiple shots fired at a Circle K at Camelback and Miller Roads. Thirty minutes later, as officers collected casings and interviewed witnesses, more gunshots erupted at a nearby apartment complex.

A 911 call stated multiple individuals jumped a fence and were running through a yard.

Officers observed a group of three adults jump over a wall into an enclosed backyard of a residence on East Hazelwood Street, according to an arrest report by Officer Luis Esquivel. One suspect disobeyed verbal commands to stop and began reaching toward his waistband.

"A detective believing the subject is reaching for a firearm draws his service weapon and discharges his service weapon at the subject striking the subject multiple times," Esquivel wrote in the report.

The injured man was identified as Brandon Lamont Robert Warfield Jr., 20. He was treated at HonorHealth Osborn Medical Center for gunshot wounds to the right chest, left chest, right knee and right buttock. Hospital staff told detectives he would survive his injuries.

Warfield told police he was an out-of-state visitor who flew into Phoenix a week before the incident. He said he was picked up at his Airbnb and driven to a party at unit 208A in the Maya Condominiums complex. He admitted to carrying a firearm but denied involvement in the Circle K shooting.

"He was armed with a firearm but was not involved in the shooting at the Circle K. (Warfield) explained that he saw the unmarked police vehicle in the area and decided to run away because he had a firearm and was afraid officers would shoot him," the arrest report stated.

Warfield was arrested and booked on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. He appeared at a preliminary hearing on May 18.

The dryer suspect

As detectives searched the red Chevrolet Impala linked to the party, officers responded to another 911 call. A resident on Miller Road reported seeing someone jump over his back wall.

The Real Time Crime Center deployed a drone, which detected a door to a utility closet on the property beginning to close slowly. SWAT team members and other officers responded and found a man hiding inside a dryer.

Officers gave repeated verbal commands, but the man refused to come out. A police K-9 was sent in and bit the subject, forcing him out.

The man was identified as Christian Santiago Grant, 20. He was arrested and initially booked on charges of criminal damage and resisting arrest. Police later re-arrested him and added a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A judge released him on his own recognizance during his initial hearing, noting he had no prior felony convictions.

Three more arrests from the May 6 case

Three other men were arrested in connection with the May 6 violence:

• Fredrion Lleon Arnes Thomas, 20, was arrested for misconduct involving weapons as a prohibited possessor, discharging a firearm at a non-residential structure, discharging a firearm within city limits and disorderly conduct involving a weapon. A judge denied him bail, noting he is on probation for a stolen car conviction. Two firearms were found underneath a mattress at the Airbnb, according to police. His trial is scheduled for September 17.
• Ba'nari Douglas-Clay, 21, was arrested in Tempe on May 7 for misconduct involving weapons for possession of a firearm by a prohibited possessor.
• Quassan Marcus Cunningham, 26, was arrested on May 6 for first-degree criminal trespass and not obeying officers near an active crime scene. Two days later, he was arrested again during a search warrant and booked on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

What police say

"Our officers, detectives, and professional staff responded to an incredibly chaotic and dangerous incident with professionalism, courage, and urgency," said Scottsdale Police Chief Joe LeDuc. "Their work over the last several days was outstanding and led to the arrest of all individuals connected to this violence."

The Mesa Police Department, as part of the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team, is conducting an independent investigation into the officer-involved shooting of Warfield.

Short-term rental data

According to the Scottsdale Police Department, officers responded to 239 calls for service at short-term rental locations from January through March 2026. Of those, 31 percent were classified as nuisance complaints. Police filed 185 charges, with 88 percent related to non-compliance.

Compared to the first three months of 2025, total calls for service at short-term rentals decreased by 29 percent. Citations for unlicensed short-term rental operations increased by 26 percent.

A city map shows dozens of short-term rentals clustered in the area around Old Town Scottsdale, including the Maya Condominiums where the May 6 party took place.