Six Taken Into Custody in Fatal Shooting of 19-Year-Old Outside Phoenix Costco, Investigation Continues

Arrests follow February killing in west Phoenix retail parking lot

Phoenix police have taken six people into custody in connection with the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Jabes Gurrola outside a Costco in Phoenix, expanding an investigation that began with an earlier arrest in mid-February.

The shooting occurred on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2026, in the afternoon in a Costco parking lot near 33rd Avenue and Indian School Road. Police responding to reports of gunfire found Gurrola inside a vehicle with a gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspects left the area before officers arrived.

What investigators say happened

Investigative summaries described a sequence that began earlier the same day in Glendale, where a witness told police they picked up Gurrola and later drove to the Costco parking lot. The witness reported that two vehicles then maneuvered to box in their car. According to the account recorded in court documents, individuals got out of the vehicles and fired before fleeing the parking lot.

Authorities have said surveillance video from the area captured license plates from the vehicles that left the scene. That information helped investigators identify multiple suspects over the following weeks.

Who has been arrested and what is publicly known about the charges

Police identified those in custody as William Mares, Nicholas Estrada, Aarion January, Junior Raybourn, and two juveniles. The arrests of multiple individuals were reported as occurring on March 4, 2026, while January had been arrested earlier, in February.

January, 18, was booked into the Maricopa County jail on charges that include first-degree murder and kidnapping. At a court hearing, a prosecutor characterized the shooting as occurring “during the course of a kidnapping,” describing a coordinated act in which the victim’s vehicle was boxed in.

• Victim: Jabes Gurrola, 19
• Date and location: Feb. 8, 2026, near 33rd Avenue and Indian School Road, Phoenix
• People in custody: William Mares, Nicholas Estrada, Aarion January, Junior Raybourn, and two juveniles

Allegations emerging from interviews

In statements attributed to investigative records, Estrada allegedly told police he was paid $200 to transport individuals to the parking lot and assist in blocking the victim’s vehicle. Raybourn, according to the same records, told police he was not armed during the incident. These claims have not been tested in court.

Key portions of the case record remain limited publicly, and authorities have emphasized that the investigation is ongoing.

Next steps

Some case documents tied to January’s arrest were sealed by a judge, a step prosecutors sought while investigators continued to pursue other suspects. With six people now in custody, the case is expected to move through charging decisions, initial appearances, and pretrial proceedings while detectives continue to assemble evidence about each person’s alleged role.

Police have asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact Silent Witness.