Police said several people attacked 19-year-old Tumusifu Bazirake before fleeing, and no suspects have been publicly identified.
PHOENIX — Police are investigating the death of 19-year-old Tumusifu Bazirake as a homicide after authorities said several people assaulted him during a fight connected to a soccer game in west Phoenix and fled before officers arrived.
Officers received a report of an unresponsive 19-year-old in a field near 43rd Avenue and Hubble Street at about 8:02 p.m. Aug. 6, according to a Phoenix Police Department media advisory. Investigators learned Bazirake had been taking part in a soccer game when a fight broke out. Police said several suspects assaulted him during the confrontation before running away. Phoenix Fire Department crews took Bazirake to a hospital in extremely critical condition.
Detectives with the Police Department’s Violent Crimes Bureau began investigating the assault that night. Police said they were notified Aug. 13 that Bazirake had died from his injuries. His remains were transferred to the Office of the Medical Examiner, and authorities said the cause of death was pending an autopsy when the department issued its Aug. 14 update. Police then classified the case as a homicide.
Authorities have released few details about what triggered the confrontation. Police have not publicly identified any of the suspected attackers and said in their latest advisory that those involved remained unidentified and outstanding. The department also has not announced any arrests or criminal charges. Investigators have not publicly stated a confirmed motive for the assault.
Bazirake’s family has provided a more detailed account of what happened, though police have not independently confirmed all of those details. His brother, Jeanpaul Bazirake, told local television station KPNX that tensions rose after their team scored a goal. He said players from the opposing side became angry and a confrontation began.
Jeanpaul Bazirake said his brother intervened after other players began attacking him. “We scored on them, and they got mad,” he told the station. He said Tumusifu Bazirake was trying to protect him as the confrontation escalated. The brother described seeing several people striking Bazirake after he had fallen to the ground. Police have confirmed only that several suspects assaulted Bazirake during the fight and then fled; the department has not publicly linked the attack to a disputed goal.
Local news reports identified the location as Sueno Park in Phoenix’s Maryvale area. Arizona’s Family reported that soccer fields in the area are regularly used by local players. The Police Department’s official advisory listed the scene as 43rd Avenue and Hubble Street but did not name the park. Authorities have not said whether the game was part of an organized league or an informal match.
Family members said Bazirake was preparing to begin college and hoped to become a firefighter. Relatives organized an online fundraiser following his death. Those details have been reported as statements from his family rather than findings from the police investigation.
The homicide investigation remains active. As of the latest information released by Phoenix police, no suspects had been publicly identified or arrested, and the department had not announced a confirmed motive. The medical examiner’s final findings on Bazirake’s death also had not been publicly released.
Author note: Last updated August 18, 2026.