PHOENIX (3TV / CBS 5) – Police arrested a man for alleged involvement in a fatal shooting Saturday at an apartment complex in northern Phoenix. The shooting took place at around 1:30 a.m. in an apartment complex near 19th Avenue and Bell Road. When police arrived at the scene, they found 25-year-old Elijah Hassan Muhammad lying in an area near one of the apartment buildings. Officials learned that Witnesses in the area tried to assist Muhammad in the resuscitation before the Phoenix Fire Department arrived and pronounced him dead. Witnesses in the area told officials that Muhammad was told to move out of an apartment, and 30-year-old Cody Christopher Thomas was contacted to help. When Thomas arrived, police said he started arguing with Muhammad. When that argument turned into a physical fight, Thomas allegedly drew a gun and shot Mohammed, police said. Mohammed reportedly ran down the stairs from the apartment, followed by Thomas. According to court records, police witnesses said Thomas continued to shoot Mohammed before leaving the area. According to the police, witnesses were able to identify Thomas in a photo constellation. Two days after the shooting on Monday, June 21, around 10:30 a.m., investigators found Thomas’ black Audi near the Judd and Cooper streets in Florence. He left a house and got into the car with a woman who was believed to be his girlfriend. According to court records, officers followed him to a nearby grocery store where they took him into custody. While in detention, Thomas reportedly told investigators that he had been invited to remove Mohammed from his home at the request of family members who were out of town. He said he and Muhammad fought over the gun but got control and then shot Muhammad. Police say Thomas then told investigators that Muhammad had left the apartment and he ran after him and fired more shots. He also said he took a bag containing thousands of cash from Mohammed and then left the area. Thomas then said he got rid of the gun on a freeway on his way out of the area. Investigators said they found the shell casings in the apartment complex and the cash in a house near Thomas’ black Audi. They could also find the gun on the shoulder of the highway. Thomas has been charged with, among other things, first degree murder, armed robbery with a deadly weapon, and possession of a gun by a prohibited person. Copyright 2021 KPHO / KTVK (KPHO Rundfunkgesellschaft). All rights reserved.
[ad_2]
