Body-Cam Footage of Arizona Man Who Killed His Friends After Reportedly Taking Psychedelic Mushrooms Released

Two people were killed and another injured after an Arizona man allegedly launched a violent attack on friends during a gathering involving psychedelic mushrooms. The suspect was subsequently shot dead by police officers responding to emergency calls.

Newly released body-camera footage has revealed details of the August incident in Gilbert, Arizona, including the officers' confrontation with the suspect and the moments before they opened fire.

Arizona Mushroom Gathering Ends in Double Murder

The attack happened on 1 August 2026 at a residential property near Lindsay and Elliot roads in Gilbert. Police identified the suspect as 28-year-old Brett Eschliman, who allegedly attacked three people after the group consumed psychedelic mushrooms.

The victims were identified as Caleb Worley, 30, and Delaney Bristow, 32, both of whom died. A third victim, a 29-year-old woman, survived despite sustaining multiple injuries.

According to investigators, the four individuals knew one another and had gathered at the property, where Eschliman lived in a fifth-wheel trailer.

Police allege that Eschliman first attacked Worley inside a detached structure, stabbing him and shooting him several times. He subsequently returned to his trailer, where he allegedly shot Bristow multiple times and stabbed her more than a dozen times.

He then went back to the detached structure and attacked the surviving woman, stabbing her repeatedly and striking her with a firearm.

Two emergency calls alerted authorities to the violence. One caller reported hearing screaming after receiving a telephone call from a friend, while another told dispatchers that someone had killed her boyfriend.

Body-Camera Footage Reveals Fatal Police Confrontation

The Gilbert Police Department later released body-camera footage and emergency calls showing the officers' response.

Upon arrival, officers heard a woman screaming and noticed broken windows and a damaged sliding glass door. They found Eschliman near the entrance and ordered him to the ground.

Instead, he allegedly lunged at an officer and attempted to grab the officer's rifle before retreating inside. When an officer entered the bedroom, police say Eschliman lunged at him with a long metal object aimed towards the officer's head and neck.

The officer fired twice, striking Eschliman, who received emergency medical treatment but was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators recovered a handgun, rifle, two knives and an aluminium-handled mop. The Mesa Police Department is leading the investigation into the fatal police shooting.

Effects of Psychedelic Mushrooms and Similar Deadly Cases

The incident has renewed concerns about psychedelic mushrooms, which contain psilocybin, a compound that affects brain receptors responsible for mood and perception. Its effects can include hallucinations, distorted time awareness, anxiety, paranoia, confusion and, in some cases, psychosis. Physical reactions may include nausea and increased heart rate.

Although these effects can impair judgement, extreme violence is uncommon, and there is no established evidence that psilocybin alone caused the Arizona killings.

Similar cases include the 2010 murder of 21-year-old Taylor Powell by California man Jarrod Wyatt after they consumed mushroom tea. Wyatt later pleaded guilty and received a 47-year prison sentence.

In March 2023, Las Vegas man Paul Abercrombie was also accused of killing his friend Christopher McCary after reportedly taking mushrooms and believing someone was trying to rob him. He was sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison for second-degree murder in June 2024.