Police say a dispute over a gun turned violent near the store’s restroom area.
MESA, Ariz. — An Arizona man is facing felony charges after police said he shot another man inside a Target store Sunday night during a dispute over a gun that had been taken from his car.
Dylan Stinson, 21, was arrested after the May 24 shooting at a Target in Mesa. Police said the victim was critically injured and taken to a hospital. Stinson was booked on aggravated assault charges and a count of unlawfully discharging a firearm within city limits.
Investigators said the incident began earlier in the night when the victim was inside Stinson’s car with several other people. Police said the victim took a handgun from the trunk while Stinson was inside a nearby smoke shop in the same shopping complex. The victim then walked into Target with the gun hidden in his pants, according to court documents cited by investigators.
Police said Stinson later went into the store and confronted the man near the restroom area. During the confrontation, Stinson allegedly took the gun back and fired at the victim in front of shoppers. Witnesses reported panic inside the store as people moved away from the sound of gunfire. Officers said the shooting appeared to be an isolated dispute between people who knew each other, not a random attack on customers.
Stinson and another person were initially detained after the shooting, but police later released the second person. Stinson remained in custody on charges that included aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault causing serious physical injury and unlawful discharge of a firearm. Authorities have not released the victim’s name or provided a public update on his condition beyond the initial report that he was critically hurt.
The case now moves through Maricopa County court. Prosecutors will review police reports, witness statements, surveillance video and store evidence as they decide how to proceed. Investigators are also expected to examine how the gun was handled before the shooting and what happened inside the store moments before shots were fired.
The Mesa Target reopened after police cleared the scene. Authorities have not announced additional arrests, and Stinson’s next court steps will depend on the filing schedule in Maricopa County.