Suspect’s dislike for drugs, homelessness may have led to shootings that killed 4 in metro Phoenix

By WALTER BERRY
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Authorities say a man’s anger over drug abuse drove him to fatally shoot four men and wound a woman in a 12-hour crime spree in metro Phoenix. Mesa police say 20-year-old Iren Byers was taken into custody Sunday on suspicion of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. He remained jailed without bond Tuesday, and it wasn’t immediately known if Byers has a lawyer. Police say Byers met the victims at random and shot most of them in the head when the topic turned to drugs. Byers told officers where they could find the clothes and handgun used in the crimes.