A very American death: how Caleb Blair lost his life in the Phoenix heat

The unhoused teen, barred from an air-conditioned store, ‘didn’t need handcuffs – he needed help’, his father says

Caleb Blair entered the Circle K gas station in Phoenix asking for help. “I can’t breathe, I’m hot, I need to sit down. I can’t breathe,” he told the male cashier. He was sweaty, panting heavily, and struggling to stand up straight.

It was 10 June 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona, and the city was experiencing the season’s first extreme heatwave. The temperature outside was 112F (44C) and rising.