2 AF teens arrested in drive-by shooting

Police arrested three teens, including two from Ahwatukee Foothills, just hours after an altercation at a party resulted in a drive-by shooting Jan. 12 in the 13200 block of South 48th Street.

According to police, no one was injured in the 3:30 a.m. shooting at the Broadstone

Ahwatukee Fairways apartment complex.

Arrested and booked for aggravated assault and misconduct involving weapons were 18-year-old Harry Atkins of Mesa, 17-year-old John Tielsch and 16-year-old Alex Webb, both of Ahwatukee Foothills.

Police confiscated a loaded SKS-style assault rifle and ammunition they believe was used in the shooting.

According to Sgt. Joel Tranter, spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department, the SKS and its 7.62-mm ammunition is very powerful.

“There’s not an apartment building, that I’m familiar with in Ahwatukee, that would stop that round,” said Tranter, who lives in Ahwatukee Foothills.

Police say it all began when Atkins, Tielsch and Webb threatened at least one party-goer at the Broadstone and were told to leave. Witnesses said the three threatened them before leaving.

“A short time later two shots were fired,” Tranter said, and witnesses saw the suspect’s red Chrysler Sebring leaving the scene.

Tranter said at least one of the victims at the party then called the suspects and set up a meeting at Taco Bell near 40th Street and Chandler Boulevard to talk about the disagreement and the shots. They then called police and told them where the suspects would be.

“They did a smart thing,” Tranter said.

When police arrived they found the suspect’s car, which attempted to evade the first police unit but was boxed in by two others.

Inside the car officers found the SKS under a jacket that Atkins admitted was his. The gun was loaded and the jacket contained additional ammunition.

The three admitted they were at the party and had been kicked out, but told officers they then went to Tielsch’s home in the 16000 block of South 44th Street. That’s when they said they received the phone call about the meeting.

“They denied any involvement in the shooting,” Tranter said.

Atkins was booked into jail as an adult and Tielsch and Webb were taken into custody at the juvenile detention center.

Doug Murphy can be reached at (480) 898-7914 or dmurphy@aztrib.com.