TEMPE, Ariz. — One person is dead after a fight between roommates in Tempe escalated to gun violence Saturday night. Michael Coupland has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his roommate and the injury of his own girlfriend.
According to court documents, Coupland told police he and his girlfriend were moving items into the house at 1823 E. Watson Dr., in Tempe when there was an argument between the two roommates. Coupland's girlfriend asked the roommate to turn his music down and, according to police documents, the roommate allegedly became belligerent and yelled at Coupland and his girlfriend.
The argument subsided, but then picked up again after Coupland and his girlfriend allegedly heard the victim throwing and breaking things into the living room. The argument stemming from that resulted in Coupland allegedly shooting his roommate and girlfriend. Coupland told police that the victim's fists were balled up and he moved as if he was going to hit him.
The identity of the deceased individual has not been released.
UP TO SPEED
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?:
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.