Suspect in Series of Shootings in Arizona Now in Police Custody; 1 Dead, 13 Injured in Shooting Spree
Authorities from Arizona caught the suspect in the series of shooting incidents that killed one and injured at least 13. The said incident happened on Thursday in different areas such as Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, and along the freeways, according to a report from ABC 15.
Authorities confirmed that the suspect fired at multiple people in 90 minutes in several cities located in West Valley. Authorities believed that the suspect acted alone when the shooting incident erupted.
READ NEXT: Miami Mass Shooting: 2 Dead, More Than 20 Hurt; $125,000 Reward Offered to Find Killers
Suspect for Arizona Shootings Arrested
Details were not furthered out by the officials, but NBC News reported that the suspect was an adult male and was taken into custody by the Surprise police officers. In a tweet, Surprise Police Department also alerted the public saying that the suspect was driving a white Volkswagen Tiguan.
ACTIVE POLICE SITUATION - Shooting near 11400 W Bell Road - suspect at large - possibly driving a white VW Tiguan
— Surprise Police Dept (@Surprise_PD) June 17, 2021
Surprise and Peoria police confirmed that the shooting spree totaled eight separate incidents. Investigators believed that the first shooting incident occurred at the border of Glendale and Peoria at around 11:10 in the morning. Fox 4 reported that four of the eight shooting incidents occurred in Peoria alone.
Although the specifics of the eight shootings were not yet available, the suspect continued to shoot people until he was detained at around 12:42 in the afternoon.
"What I can tell you is that the suspect that we're seeing, the vehicle that we're seeing, he's been taken into custody," said Tommy Hale, a police sergeant from Surprise Police Department, assuring that the public has no reason to feel unsafe. Hale narrated that the suspect pulled into the parking lot and did not attempt to shoot the police officers.
Despite being held by the authorities, the motive for the series of shooting in Arizona was still not identified by the officers. The weapon was also found inside the vehicle of the suspect, but details about it were also not furthered.
"We don't have an idea of what this person [suspect] was thinking when he went out and did this [shootings]," said Peoria Sergeant Brandon Sheffert. Sheffert also pointed out that they want to discover the motive because a lot of people were affected and scared due to the incident.
Multiple agencies are helping in the investigation. The agencies were composed of Surprise Police, Glendale Police, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, FBI, and ATF.
1 Dead, 13 Injured After Series of Shooting in Arizona
Although the suspect was now under the custody of the authorities, the gunmen were still able to hurt innocent people.
Four individuals were confirmed to be shot including one that was fatal. The deceased victim was found on the Lopp 101 and Thunderbird, which resulted in the closure of the freeway. Shot victims were also reported on different areas such as 115th Avenue and Bell Road of Surprise, and 99th Avenue and Northern Avenue.
Meanwhile, Sheffert confirmed that not all the victims were shot in the incidents. Some of them sustained injuries from broken glass due to a car crash.
The 13 injured victims after a series of Arizona shootings were expected to survive as they sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
READ NEXT: Colorado Shooting: Armed Suspect Who Shot Firefighter in the Leg Identified, Still on the Loose
WATCH: 1 Killed, 3 Others Shot and 9 More Injured in West Valley Shooting Spree - From ABC15 Arizona
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!