Phoenix police are investigating a fatal shooting that took place during a home invasion early Saturday near the intersection of 36th Street and Thomas Road. Officers were called to the area at about 4 a.m. after reports of a shooting, and investigators say a suspect forced their way into a residence before an adult man inside was shot. Phoenix Fire personnel responded and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
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A Phoenix police vehicle at the scene as investigators respond to a deadly home-invasion shooting near 36th Street and Thomas Road.
Police have not released the identity of the victim, nor have they provided additional descriptive information about the suspect. Authorities said the person who entered the home did so by force, and that the apparent home invasion culminated in the fatal shooting. Beyond confirming the time of the initial response and the agencies on scene, investigators have kept details limited as the inquiry continues.
Responding officers arrived after receiving calls of gunfire in the neighborhood shortly before dawn. First responders from the Phoenix Fire Department were dispatched to the same location and, upon arrival, pronounced the adult male victim deceased at the scene. The Phoenix Police Department has since assumed lead responsibility for the inquiry and continues to develop the circumstances surrounding the fatal encounter.
The shooting occurred in a residential area close to the 36th Street and Thomas Road corridor. An aerial view of the neighborhood near the intersection shows closely spaced homes and yards where emergency personnel later gathered as crews and investigators controlled the scene. Investigators have not provided a motive or identified any potential connection between the suspect and the home’s occupants, and they have not publicly released any description of the person who forced entry.
Aerial view of residential properties near 36th Street and Thomas Road in Phoenix, where police are investigating a deadly home-invasion shooting.
At this stage, officials have described the incident in broad terms: a forced entry into a private residence, a shooting inside that residence, and the subsequent pronouncement of death by Phoenix Fire personnel. The police department is conducting an active investigation to establish what occurred in the moments leading up to and immediately following the shooting. Because authorities have limited the information released publicly, many specifics about the incident remain undisclosed.
Investigators have not yet announced whether any arrests have been made or whether additional individuals were inside the home at the time of the incident. Nor have they released the victim’s name, age or other identifying details. The Phoenix Police Department continues to collect evidence and follow investigative leads as the case remains open.
Community members in the area of 36th Street and Thomas Road were awakened early Saturday morning by the heightened activity of first responders and investigators at the scene. Neighbors and passersby saw police vehicles and emergency personnel in the vicinity as officers worked to establish the facts of the case. Beyond the immediate scene, police have not shared information on whether they believe this event is connected to any other incidents in the city.
As the investigation continues, police have so far kept public statements concise, confirming the essential facts of the incident while withholding additional details that might affect the inquiry. The Phoenix Police Department’s ongoing probe aims to determine the identity and whereabouts of the suspect who forced entry and fired the fatal shot, and to develop a timeline of events leading to the shooting. Authorities have not released further information about the case at this time.
This investigation remains active, and the department has said it will provide updates as more information becomes available. For now, the known facts are limited to the early-morning response to multiple reports of gunfire, the forced entry into a home near 36th Street and Thomas Road, the fatal shooting of an adult man inside that residence, and the confirmation of the man’s death by Phoenix Fire at the scene. Police continue to gather evidence and pursue leads as they work to resolve the case.
Phoenix police have since identified the 51-year-old victim as Daniel Saiz, who died at the scene after the intruder forced entry. The suspect fled before officers arrived near 36th and Sheridan streets south of Thomas Road, with homicide detectives now leading the active investigation. (AZFamily, KTAR News)
Phoenix police identified the location as the Camelback East neighborhood and said the shooting occurred around 4 a.m. on July 11, 2026, near 36th and Sheridan streets (south of Thomas Road).
Authorities asked anyone with information to contact Silent Witness at 480‑WITNESS (480‑948‑6377) or 480‑TESTIGO for Spanish.