MESA, Ariz. — A man is dead and another is in the hospital after a shooting inside a family pizzeria in Mesa Wednesday evening, the city's police department said.
Officers started receiving reports of shots fired inside Desert Peaks Pizza & Grille near McKellips and Recker roads around 5 p.m., the department said. When officers arrived, they found two adult males suffering from gunshot wounds.
One of the men, identified as 51-year-old Joseph Papineau, died while another man, identified as 45-year-old Jason Zuchowski, underwent surgery with life-threatening injuries, police said. A third person suffered minor injuries after being struck by shrapnel.
Linda Hoopes was inside the restaurant and said the shooting resulted from a verbal argument between two men.
“The guy that was with her stood up and said you stupid, you know… bastard or whatever, don’t look over here one more time. Well, he gets up, pulls a gun out of his back pocket, and shoots him. Then he shot himself in the head," Hoopes said.
Police have not said if the two men knew each other, but said the shooting was not random and they are not looking for any other suspects.
“This is not a place in town where this happens. This is just a nice eating place," Hoopes said.
This is an active investigation. Stay with 12News for updates.
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