Armed Man Fatally Shot by Police in Latter-day Saint Chapel Parking Lot in Queen Creek

Update 10.09.25 9:39 PM: The individual has been identified as 72-year-old Bradley Bowyer. 

Police in Queen Creek, Arizona, shot and killed an armed man Wednesday afternoon in the parking lot of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse after family members called 911 to report that he was suicidal, officials confirmed.

According to Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice, the call came in shortly before 2 p.m. regarding a man in crisis near 229th Street and Rosa Road, just east of Meridian Road. Officers were initially unable to locate him, but later found him near 204th Street in the area of Chandler Heights and Ellsworth roads. When officers tried to engage the man in conversation, Brice said that “something happened,” and police opened fire.

The man, who was armed, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not yet released what kind of weapon he was carrying. No officers were injured during the incident.

Aerial footage from the scene, available here on YouTube, shows police tape surrounding the chapel parking lot as investigators examined evidence near a vehicle. Chief Brice emphasized that neither the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints nor Queen Creek Elementary School, located across the street, was directly involved in the encounter.

A Church spokesperson confirmed Thursday morning that no meetings or activities were taking place at the time of the shooting and declined further comment.

The fatal encounter marks the thirty-fourth officer-involved shooting in the Phoenix metropolitan area and the sixty-seventh statewide this year, according to data compiled by AZFamily. Law enforcement officials said the investigation remains active, and body-camera footage will be reviewed as part of standard procedure. The identity of the deceased man has not yet been released pending notification of his family.

Faith, Tragedy, and the Need for Compassion

While the investigation continues, the tragedy has sparked sorrow across the Queen Creek community. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, such events near sacred meetinghouses can feel especially heavy. Chapels are meant to be places of peace and prayer, where people seek hope and healing through Jesus Christ.

This heartbreaking moment serves as a reminder of the importance of compassion and mental-health awareness within every faith community. The scriptures teach that the Savior mourns with those who mourn and comforts those who stand in need of comfort. Members of the community have expressed prayers for the man’s family, for the officers involved, and for all who are struggling silently.