Arizona
Gilbert man dies in Eloy skydiving accident, marking second death in 8 days
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The Republic
Eloy police reported that a man from Gilbert, believed to be wearing a wingsuit, died after his parachute failed to deploy before a hard landing on Saturday. This marks the second skydiving-related death in the area within eight days.
About 11:40 a.m., 32-year-old Shawn Bowen was reportedly skydiving near the Eloy Municipal Airport while wearing a “wingsuit-type apparatus,” according to a news release from the Eloy Police Department on Saturday evening.
Eyewitnesses reported that during Bowen’s freefall, his parachute did not deploy, and he died after injuries he sustained from the landing.
Investigators from Eloy police and the Federal Aviation Administration were interviewing witnesses to determine why Bowen’s parachute failed to deploy.
The Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office was also at the scene to investigate the death and would conduct an autopsy later next week, according to the Eloy police news release.
Police said the victim’s wife had been notified and offered their condolences to Bowen’s loved ones.
Anyone with information about the death of Bowen was asked to contact the Eloy Police Department at 520-466-7324, ext. 0, referencing case number 2025000741.
Here are recent deaths attributed to skydiving in Arizona
On Jan. 24, Ann Wick, a 55-year-old from Minnesota, died after her parachute failed to deploy after a skydiving experience in the same area as where Bowen died.
Medical personnel attempted lifesaving measures on Wick, but she was later pronounced dead, according to police. The exact cause of death was still under investigation.
Terry Gardner, 73, died at Skydive Arizona on Jan. 31, 2024, after making a hard landing without a fully deployed parachute. Skydive Arizona said Gardner had completed thousands of jumps.
That incident came several weeks after a hot-air balloon crash killed four people in Eloy. The balloon, operated by Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides, had been carrying 13 people at takeoff — eight of them skydivers who had left the craft before issues arose causing it to crash. None of the skydivers was injured in that incident.
The Arizona Republic’s Jose R. Gonzalez and Perry Vandell contributed to this article.
Reach the reporter at rcovarrubias@gannett.com. Follow him on X, Threads and Bluesky @ReyCJrAZ.
Arizona
Person accused of making terroristic threats to medical facility in northern Arizona
PAGE, AZ (AZFamily) — A person accused of making terroristic threats toward a northern Arizona medical facility was arrested Friday morning.
Just after 10:30 p.m., police received a report of a person calling the facility and threatening to kill staff and Native Americans, according to the Page Police Department.
Authorities said staff placed the facility on lockdown until officers identified the suspect and arrested them outside their home.
The suspect was booked on charges of disorderly conduct, threatening and intimidating, and making terroristic threats. Police have not publicly identified the person.
“The Page Police Department is grateful for and supports the medical staff’s decision to put the medical facility into lockdown until the suspect was arrested and the situation was rendered safe,” the department said in a Facebook post.
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Arizona
NFL mock draft: 4-round projections for Arizona Cardinals
In these four-round projections, the Arizona Cardinals don’t get a tackle until the fourth round.
We are just days away from the 2026 NFL draft, and that means some final mock drafts. What direction will the draft take the Arizona Cardinals?
Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy put together a four-round mock draft for the Cardinals. They go defense early but rebuild the offense for 2026 and moving forward, including landing their potential franchise quarterback.
Cardinals 4-round mock draft
Here are the players in the first four rounds Popejoy projects for Arizona.
- Round 1: Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese
- Round 2: Alabama QB Ty Simpson
- Round 3: Clemson WR Antonio Williams
- Round 4: Florida OT Austin Barber
What we think of the picks
The Cardinals want to trade out of the third pick and draft a tackle, so not getting a tackle until Round 4 seems unlikely, although they did meet with Barber. They do have options at right tackle for 2026 already on the roster.
Reese would be a great pick if they don’t trade back, as they badly need pass-rushing help off the edge.
Drafting Simpson seems inevitable at this point, so it has to be in a mock draft, although the feeling is they will need to go up into Round 1 again to get him.
Williams has speed and is almost six feet tall, but he does have short arms.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Arizona
Detroit Lions NFL Draft Injury Report: Arizona State CB Keith Abney
Due to significant injuries to the CB position last year which includes a shoulder surgery for Terrion Arnold, the Lions CB position scored a 6/10 need on my Lions Defensive Draft Need Rankings. Thus, an early-round selection of a young, healthy prospect like Keith Abney would not come as a surprise. He enters the draft with very low medical concern level.
Here is the excerpt from my medical report on Keith Abney:
(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information are unverified and subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
Keith Abney, CB (21) – Arizona State
Projected round 2-3. #43 on Jeff Risdon board Feb 19.
Concern level 0/10
There is an isolated report of a hand injury but no corroborating information. Even if the hand injury is true, that’s of minimal to no long-term concern.
His availability in his final two seasons has been perfect. Overall, Abney appears to be medically clean and is at an excellent age.
He finished college with 6 INT and 21 PBU.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD
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