Surprise police have arrested a man in connection with the early New Year's Day shooting near Grand Avenue and Greenway Road.

Manuel Vera Gonzales was arrested Jan. 2 and charged with second-degree murder.

Police said at approximately 5:30 a.m. on New Year's Day, officers responded to a neighborhood in the area of 12800 W. Market St. after receiving reports of a shooting.

When officers arrived on scene they spoke with Manuel Vera Gonzales, who reported he had been in a verbal dispute outside his residence with an unknown male who, at some point during the dispute, pointed a gun at him.

Gonzales said he then retrieved a rifle he had “staged” in his yard. Gunfire was exchanged between Gonzales and the unknown male, later identified as 20-year-old Xavier Elias.

Elias was struck multiple times and was transported by friends to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Surprise Police detectives were called to the scene.

After speaking with several witnesses and collecting evidence, Manuel Vera Gonzales was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

He was later booked into the Maricopa County Intake, Transfer and Release Jail.  

The investigation into this fatal shooting is still ongoing. At this time, detectives have no further releasable information.

This was an isolated incident with no further threat posed to the surrounding area. 

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Surprise Police Department at 623-222-4000, 623-222-TIPS (8477), or email crimetips@surpriseaz.gov.

When contacting the police, reference incident number #240100032.