Two suspects arrested after north Phoenix strip mall shooting left one man dead, another hospitalized
What happened and where
Phoenix police investigated a shooting outside a north Phoenix strip mall near 19th Avenue and Bell Road that left two men with gunshot wounds. Officers were called to a business in the area at about 1:30 p.m. on Friday, January 2, 2026, and found both victims outside a barber shop.
Both men were taken to a hospital. One victim, 25-year-old Manuel Fonseca, died shortly afterward. The second victim remained hospitalized; his name was not publicly released.
Arrests and charges
Police later arrested two brothers in connection with the shooting:
Daniel Ernesto Zamora Flores, 20, booked on charges of second-degree murder and aggravated assault.
Ricky Rosendo Zamora, 29, booked on one count of hindering prosecution.
The case remains centered on a confrontation that escalated rapidly outside the businesses at the strip mall.
Investigators’ account of the escalation
Investigators determined the shooting occurred during a fight involving multiple people. Witnesses reported that the individuals believed to be involved left the area in a black Chevrolet Suburban shortly after gunfire.
Court records reviewed by the newsroom describe conflicting accounts of the moments leading up to the shooting. In one interview described in those records, Daniel Zamora Flores told detectives that he and his brothers had gone to a nearby smoke shop and became involved in a confrontation with an armed man, after which shots were fired. In another account described in the same set of records, Ricky Zamora told investigators the dispute may have been connected to a personal conflict involving a vehicle parked near the barber shop, followed by an argument, a physical fight, and then gunfire.
The accounts contained in court documents differ on who initiated the confrontation, but both describe an encounter that moved from arguing to fighting and then shooting within a short period of time.
Evidence, a third brother, and how arrests unfolded
Police said a witness provided video that helped identify the vehicle and license plate. Detectives traced the vehicle to a residence less than two miles from the shooting location, then conducted surveillance that eventually led them to another home near 51st Avenue and Bell Road in Glendale, where the Suburban was observed in a backyard.
Investigators also described a third brother who was wounded during the shooting and later went to a hospital. Police said he left before he could be located, and he had not been arrested or charged at the time the arrests of the two brothers were announced.
After serving a search warrant at the brothers’ home, investigators reported finding firearms in a safe believed to be connected to the shooting. Police indicated they believe Daniel and the third brother fired shots, while Ricky did not.
What is known next
The surviving victim’s condition and the full sequence of actions captured on video evidence were not fully detailed in the public record available at the time of reporting. The criminal case is expected to proceed through initial hearings where probable-cause findings and additional evidence will be addressed.
Daniel Zamora Flores was held on a $1 million bond.