A shooting in Rancho El Dorado locked down an elementary school. Police are investigating

By Elias Weiss, Editorial Director
May 13, 2025

(First InMaricopa) A shooting outside a home in Maricopa’s Rancho El Dorado subdivision this morning triggered a temporary lockdown at Pima Butte Elementary School and marked the city’s fifth shooting at or from a vehicle since mid-March — and the second in just 72 hours.

According to Maricopa Police Department Capt. Stephen Judd, officers responded around 10:50 a.m. to multiple 911 calls reporting an active shooting on the 42500 block of Hillman Drive. Upon arrival, officers found that a firearm had been discharged multiple times, striking both a residence and a vehicle parked in the driveway.

Police quickly secured the scene and made contact with the occupants of the home, who were unharmed. Fortunately, no injuries were reported at the home or in the surrounding area.

Capt. Judd told InMaricopa the suspects, who are known to the family living at the residence, fled the area in a vehicle. He emphasized that the incident appears to be targeted and isolated, posing no ongoing threat to the broader community.

As a precaution, nearby Pima Butte Elementary School was placed on lockdown shortly after the shooting was reported.

“We received notice from MPD to place our students in lockdown initially because somebody in the community reported something that sounded like gunshots,” said Mishell Terry, a spokeswoman for the Maricopa Unified School District.

A crosswalk sign sits in the street across from Pima Butte Elementary School on May 13, 2025. [Monica D. Spencer]

“We kept the students and the staff members inside while the police were dealing with the incident. A few minutes later, they gave us the all clear,” Terry told InMaricopa. “Classes were still going on — we just secured the outside of the building.”

Parents gathered outside the campus during the lockdown as authorities worked to ensure the area was safe.

In a message to families, Principal Elizabeth Allison assured parents that normal operations resumed shortly afterward.

“The location is secure, and classes will continue as normal,” she wrote.

This latest incident adds to growing concerns in the community, as it marks the fifth shooting in Maricopa or by a Maricopan since mid-March and the second within the last 72 hours:

The investigation is ongoing. Police urge anyone with information to contact the Maricopa Police Department.

David Iversen and Monica D. Spencer contributed reporting.

Elias Weiss, Editorial Director

Elias Weiss earned his journalism degree from the University of Arkansas and began reporting for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He later led the Chatham Star-Tribune to a 2019 Best Weekly Newspaper award before working as an investigative reporter for Phoenix New Times and The Daily Beast. In 2023, he became managing editor at InMaricopa, winning top state awards for investigative and narrative reporting. In 2024, he took over as Editorial Director. Elias often discusses politics on KFNX.