Casa Grande house party shooting leaves 18-year-old dead, suspect at large

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – An 18-year-old was found dead outside a house party in Casa Grande. Now, police are searching for the shooter.

What we know:

Casa Grande Police said multiple shots were fired outside a house party near Trekell and Rodeo roads at around 1:20 a.m. on Sept. 20. The security video shared with FOX 10 captures the 19 gunshots. 

Joseph Castro, 18, was later found dead in the driveway of the home with multiple gunshot wounds. 

What they’re saying:

Castros’ father said he had left the house for five minutes to go to the gas station, came back, and saw his son lying in their driveway.

“Everybody should be gone by the time I come back. Sure enough they were,” the father said. 

By Sunday afternoon, Joseph’s loved ones were gathered to remember the 18-year-old they knew. Joseph’s father says his son was one of five siblings and worked a full-time job, and leaves behind a large family now grieving his loss.

“He was very responsible. He was grown up for an 18-year-old. He just turned 18 two weeks ago. Joey, I love you. I miss you. It’s not going to be the same here without you,” the father said.

Neighbors Speak Out:

Next door, Cara Osmer said she woke up to the sound of the commotion.

“I’m up, and I hear pow pow,” Osmer said. “I happened to be in the kitchen at the time and I looked and all of a sudden I just see this crowd disperse. The cars are flying down the road. There’s people down the road. So I just happened to come out, and I hear somebody, ‘Call the police, call the police, he’s been shot.”

What we don’t know:

No suspects have been identified, and the events leading up to the shooting were not disclosed. 

What you can do:

Anyone with information on the shooting or the identity of the suspect is asked to contact Detective Brandon Garcia at 520-840-3175 or email Brandon_Garcia@casagrandeaz.gov. 

What’s next:

This remains an active investigation.

Map of the nearby area of the house party shooting.

Crime and Public SafetyCasa GrandeNews