Cottonwood, Arizona: Never Bring An Ax to a Gunfight

Cottonwood, Arizona

From February 22, 2008 Cottonwood Police Department press release:

UPDATE: On 02-22-08 at about 11:08 am a fatal shooting occurred in the parking lot of the Safeway store, 1635 E. Cottonwood Street. The deceased person is identified as James Keith Orsini, 47, of Cottonwood. Mr. Orsini died at the scene. Next of kin have been notified.

ORIGINAL REPORT: The Cottonwood Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on February 22, 2008 at about 11:08 AM in the Safeway Store parking lot.

Cottonwood, Arizona, February 22, 2008 - Today at about 1108 AM Officers of the Cottonwood Police Department responded to the parking lot of the Safeway Store, 1635 E Cottonwood Street, on the report of shots fired. They found one subject down with apparent gunshot wounds and a second subject nearby. The gunshot victim was deceased at the scene. At the time of this report he has not been positively identified. The other party involved is identified as James Sherman King, 59 years old, of Cottonwood.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the incident started on the roadway and both subjects pulled into the store parking lot. Witnesses state that the deceased subject approached Mr. King with a raised axe. They heard two shots and the man with the axe fell to the ground.