A man opened fire outside a Little Caesars in a south Tempe strip mall on Monday morning, Dec. 1, killing his wife and her coworker before officers detained him at the scene, police said. The shooting unfolded just after 9 a.m. near Rural and Guadalupe roads, where responding officers found both victims gravely wounded on the sidewalk and parking lot.
Investigators said the attack left two restaurant employees dead and rattled a busy commercial corner as stores prepared to open. Authorities identified the victims as Mary Visser, 21, and Shaquille Simmons, 32. The suspect, 27-year-old Benjaman Visser Jr., was booked into jail on two counts of first-degree premeditated murder. Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage and witness accounts, including statements that the assailant targeted Simmons at the front door and then shot Mary Visser in the drive lane before pacing the lot. Police said motive remains under investigation, though early filings reference jealousy over a perceived relationship.
Officers were already nearby on an unrelated call when they heard gunfire and rushed to the strip mall, according to police summaries and court papers. Witnesses described a rapid volley—“bang, bang, bang …”—and said a woman fell by the entrance as shoppers ducked into neighboring businesses. An officer turning into the plaza saw a man with a handgun and moved to detain him while other officers began medical aid on the victims. Both workers were taken to area hospitals, where they died. A store owner next door said he hid employees in a back room during the commotion. Aerial images later showed shattered glass at the front door and evidence markers spread across the pavement.
Newly filed documents outline a tight sequence from arrival to arrest. Investigators wrote that Simmons pulled up alone and was steps from the entrance when the suspect and his wife arrived. Video reviewed by detectives appears to show the gunman shoot Simmons at the doorway, then shoot Mary Visser in the lot. Simmons, struck, rose and ran along the sidewalk as more shots followed. The filings also note a 911 call in which a man identified himself by first name and said he had “shot two people,” and a statement recorded on an officer’s body camera in which Mary Visser named her husband as the shooter while medics worked. Police say they recovered a handgun and collected store and exterior video from the plaza.
Tempe police said officers had responded the night before to a disturbance involving the same man at or near the restaurant, a detail now folded into the larger inquiry. Detectives are interviewing coworkers, relatives and business owners in the center and are examining phone records and messages. Authorities said there is no evidence the victims were armed. The department also emphasized that the attack was not connected to a separate fatal shooting investigated that morning at Tempe Marketplace.
Records list Benjaman Visser Jr. as Mary Visser’s spouse. A separate biographical note in court summaries says the couple share an infant child; officials did not discuss custody matters and said victim services staff were assisting relatives. Friends of Simmons described him as a steady presence at work and a devoted family member. A small memorial of flowers grew along the storefront by evening. “You don’t expect to come to work and see this block taped off,” said Tony Olvera, who owns a tattoo shop in the same center.
Shots were reported at approximately 9:03 a.m. and the suspect was in custody minutes later, according to dispatch logs referenced in police summaries. Crime-scene technicians mapped trajectories and canvassed for additional video from the nail salon, a nearby grocery and the lot’s south-facing cameras. Detectives said they will test cartridge casings and the recovered handgun, comparing them with any prior police contacts involving the suspect. Prosecutors indicated they would seek to preserve phone data and surveillance footage, including cloud backups, before routine overwrites occur.
In Arizona, first-degree murder carries a possible sentence of life in prison and, in limited circumstances, capital punishment. Prosecutors said charging decisions beyond the two murder counts will be guided by completed reports and the medical examiner’s findings. Court officials said an initial appearance in Maricopa County Superior Court will address appointment of counsel and release conditions. Police said they would update the public after key witness interviews are finished and major laboratory results are returned.
By late Monday, the plaza reopened with the Little Caesars entrance boarded and investigators gone. Patrols in the area increased through the week as businesses resumed normal hours. As of Thursday, police said the case remains active with additional filings expected and that next steps include formal arraignment and continued evidence review.
Author note: Last updated December 18, 2025.