2 left dead in apartment home after pair of armed robbers force their way in, cops say

Authorities in Arizona say a man was arrested following a home invasion that left two individuals dead earlier this month.

According to the Arizona Republic, 27-year-old Mitchell Johnson is accused of forcing his way into an apartment unit in Phoenix on July 15 and fatally shooting the occupants as part of a residential robbery.

Reports indicate the incident occurred a short time before 5 p.m. at the 3rd Avenue Palms Condominiums. Upon arrival, investigators say they were led to the crime scene by a pair of witnesses.

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Upon arriving at the residence, officers reportedly found the victims, one of whom was subsequently determined to have died as the result of homicide.

Authorities identified Johnson as a suspect in the crime and arrested him on Thursday. He is expected to face criminal charges including one count of murder.

Witnesses reported that the alleged robber broke into the home with another individual, subsequently identified as the other deceased individual inside the home. Details surrounding his death were scarce in available police reports.

Following a physical altercation involving the witnesses, Johnson allegedly shot an individual and was himself struck by a bullet.

He was transported to an area hospital for treatment of his injury and was subsequently arrested. In addition to murder, he is expected to face criminal charges including misconduct with weapons, kidnapping, stealing a vehicle, and two counts of being a prohibited person in possession of a weapon.

Johnson was being held behind bars on $1 million bail as of the latest reports available.

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[Featured image: Mitchell Johnson, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office]