Phoenix Gun Violence Skyrockets: Police Begin Joint Effort To Fight It

PHOENIX, AZ — The devastated family of 14-year-old Emily "Emma" Morgan talked Wednesday morning about their daughter's love of perfecting her makeup, creating videos on TikTok, camping and hiking.

They also pleaded with the public to help find those responsible for Morgan's tragic death in a mass shooting during a party at a Phoenix strip mall on June 4.

Morgan's family members expressed their grief during the Phoenix Police Department's news conference to unveil a new program aimed at combating skyrocketing gun violence in Phoenix.

The program, called Operation Gun Crime Crackdown, is a joint effort among Phoenix police; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maricopa County Attorney's Office; the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona; and the public.

The shooting that claimed Morgan's life and left eight others injured followed another mass shooting the weekend before that left one man dead and five people injured.

At least three people were shot to death in Phoenix the weekend that Morgan was killed, and seven were killed by gun violence the weekend before, Memorial Day weekend.

Homicides using guns almost doubled in the city this year, compared to the same time last year, according to Phoenix police. Aggravated assaults with guns were up 23 percent.

"We must do something to protect our children and my officers from gun violence," Phoenix police Chief Jeri Williams said at a Wednesday news conference announcing the initiative.

Phoenix Police Officer Tyler Moldovan was shot eight times in the line of duty in December and was finally able to come home from a rehabilitation facility in early June. Moldovan, who was just 22 when he was shot, suffered extensive neurological injuries.

Just two months later, nine Phoenix officers were either shot or hit by bullet shrapnel in a standoff on Feb. 11.

Operation Gun Crime Crackdown aims to bring all participating agencies together with a laser focus on curbing violent gun crime in the city, Williams said.

Under the new initiative, set to launch July 5, Phoenix police detectives will be assigned to individual precincts to work directly with neighborhood enforcement teams and patrol officers to crack down on gun crime.

The ATF will embed agents within the Phoenix police Gun Crime Intelligence Unit and allow them quick access to the National Intelligence Ballistic Information Network to help them find and and compare ballistic evidence to help solve and prevent gun crime.

Police also plan to communicate in real time with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to ensure those suspected of violent gun crimes are properly detained, held accountable and released on appropriate conditions, Williams said.

And the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona will review local cases for possible federal charges.

County Attorney Rachel Mitchell planned to provide liaisons from her office to work with Phoenix police to review prior gun cases that have not resulted in charges or that were referred back to detectives for additional investigation.

The public will also be an important partner in this effort, Williams said. Phoenicians have gotten too used to ignoring the sounds of gunshots in their neighborhoods, she said.

"We need our communities to help," Williams said. "If you hear gunfire in your neighborhood, we need you to call 911. Please don’t turn a deaf ear."

Williams also urged locals to call a new tip line to report anyone they know who is in illegal possession of a gun. Tipsters were asked to call 602-644-5805 to make a report.

"It isn’t about just our daughter," Gabe Keely, Morgan's father, said during the news conference. "My heart goes out to all of the other families, because we know what they’re feeling."

Just a few days before she was killed, Morgan spoke to her mother, Jen Keely, about her plans for college and how she wanted to start her own business.

"She didn’t want to die young," Jen Keely said. "She wanted a family."

Jen Keely said she discussed gun violence and how to avoid it with her daughter several times. Morgan always had the same answer, Keely said: "'Mom, that's never going to happen to me.'"