APACHE JUNCTION — The Apache Junction Police Department has identified Officer Gabriel Facio as the officer injured in a shooting on Monday morning that left the community shaken.
Facio, a three-year veteran of the department and father of two, was shot in the face by 36-year-old Roger Nunez during a confrontation near Ironwood Drive and Ray Avenue. Officers had responded to reports of a man waving a firearm from a white Tesla around 9:30 a.m.
When confronted, Nunez allegedly exited his car with the weapon in hand, ignoring commands from officers. After attempts to subdue him with nonlethal pepper-spray projectiles, Nunez reportedly fired four shots — one striking Facio in the face.
The other four officers on scene returned fire, hitting Nunez. They then rushed Facio to a nearby Banner Health Clinic in a patrol vehicle.
Authorities later confirmed Nunez used a “ghost gun,” a firearm without a serial number. He was not legally prohibited from owning a gun, but investigators believe he was in a deteriorated mental state at the time of the incident.
Nunez, an Apache Junction resident with prior aggravated assault charges, is expected to face multiple counts of aggravated assault stemming from the shooting. The Mesa Police Department is handling the investigation, and the involved officers are on paid administrative leave per protocol.
