Mesa police responded shortly after 4 a.m. on Saturday after multiple callers reported hearing gunshots in a neighborhood near University Drive and Greenfield Road. When officers arrived at the apartment, they found 35-year-old Marco Lozada had been shot at least once and was in critical condition; he was rushed to a hospital and later died, police said.
Several people were standing outside the residence when officers arrived, including the victim’s brother, 32-year-old John Lozada. Court documents show that John Lozada told officers at the scene, “I shot him.” Witnesses at the location described a gathering where both brothers had been drinking prior to the shooting, and they reported hearing an argument inside the apartment followed by a single gunshot.
As people began to leave the apartment, witnesses said one person began yelling for help and attempted to move the injured man. Investigators who later searched the apartment located a shell casing on the living room floor amid a large pool of blood. A handgun was also found lying on a bedroom floor, court paperwork states.
Crime scene tape and a Mesa Police SUV outside a home near University Drive and Greenfield Road after an early-morning shooting.
In an interview with detectives, John Lozada said he had lived with his brother for the past two years and that the two had a history of “physical violence,” according to court documents. He told investigators he had been drinking with members of the group at the apartment but went to bed earlier in the night. He said he was awakened by loud noises, retrieved his firearm and went to the living room.
John Lozada told police that most of the group began leaving the apartment before an altercation between the brothers escalated. He said his brother became upset with him and began pushing and punching him in the torso. According to court paperwork, John Lozada said he pulled out his gun, loaded it and pointed it at his brother. Investigators concluded he fired one shot that struck the victim in the stomach.
After the shooting, court documents say John Lozada told officers he hid the firearm in a bedroom and, while attempting to remove the magazine, fired another round into the floor. He was taken into custody at the scene and later booked on a single count of second-degree murder. He is being held on a $1 million bond.
Mugshot released by authorities of the person detained in connection with the Mesa neighborhood shooting.
Police have said the information in their public reports and in court paperwork reflects statements made by people at the scene and by the defendant during interviews with investigators. The investigation remains active, with authorities continuing to compile evidence and documentation related to the events that led to the fatal shooting.