Two men dead after murder-suicide near Yuma athletic complex

Yuma police said a Saturday night shooting near Sanguinetti Athletic Complex turned into a fast-moving murder-suicide that left two men dead and sent officers to two different addresses in the city’s central grid within minutes.

Officers first responded at about 7:45 p.m. to an aggravated assault with a gun in the 300 block of South 13th Avenue, near South 13th Avenue and West Third Street. When they arrived, police found an unresponsive man beneath a gazebo and began life-saving measures. Investigators identified the suspect as 55-year-old Richard Carter and the victim as 67-year-old Alvin Nelson.

Police said Carter shot Nelson and drove away from the scene. At approximately 7:57 p.m., officers received another call, this time reporting an attempted suicide in the 1800 block of Fifth Avenue. That call involved Carter. Both men were later transported to Onvida Health, where they died.

The Yuma Police Department listed the case numbers as 2026-32836 and 2026-32840. Sergeant Lori Franklin was named as the department’s media contact. Detectives with the Yuma Police Department Violent Crimes Unit are handling the investigation, which remains open and includes the homicide and the later attempted suicide call.

The location matters for nearby residents because the shooting happened in a public area many Yuma families know well, close to the athletic complex and within a busy part of the city grid. The sequence of calls also underscores how quickly a domestic or interpersonal shooting can spill into a second emergency in another neighborhood, drawing police, medical crews, and hospital staff into the same unfolding incident.

Yuma police say their Mental Health Co-Responder Unit responds to suicidal thoughts or self-harm concerns and works with Community Bridges Inc. and Onvida Health Behavioral Health. In a crisis, residents can call 911 for immediate danger or 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The department also says the city’s crime map is updated twice daily, although some reports may not appear publicly for 7 to 10 days.