Buckeye police arrest suspect in deadly shooting

BUCKEYE, AZ (May 15, 2026): A suspect is in jail in connection to a deadly overnight shooting in Buckeye.

Around 8:15 p.m. last night, officers responded to reports of shots fired near Elwood St. and 257^th Ln. Officers responding to the area and located three female victims suffering from gunshots wounds. Two of the victims, a 17-year-old pregnant girl and a 22-year-old woman, were rushed to the hospital where they remain in critical condition. A third victim, identified as 16-year-old Rylee Montgomery, who was also pregnant, died on scene.

Initial information indicated the victims had been shot outside a home on Elwood St. and that two males were seen running from the scene before officers arrived. The victims and suspect knew each other.

Over the next few hours, investigators worked to identify the suspected shooter as 18-year-old Michael Sanchez, who was in a romantic relationship with Montgomery. Buckeye police tracked him down to a home in Avondale where they took him into custody with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and Avondale Police. Sanchez has been booked into jail on multiple felony charges.

Buckeye police thank our community and law enforcement partners for your assistance in the swift apprehension of this dangerous and violent suspect.