I-10 Shooting Phoenix: Highway Shootings Total 11, Reward Raised To $20,000
The I-10 shootings in Phoenix, Arizona have residents on edge, as police are now reporting the highway shootings total 11.
According to the Associated Press, reported via MSN, Arizona authorities have confirmed 11 shootings in the Phoenix area, with most occurring on highways. Raul Garcia, Department of Public Safety spokesman, said the latest shooting involved a commercial truck. The driver of the truck had been making deliveries for hours when he noticed a bullet hole in the cargo area of the vehicle. This marks the 11th attack since late August.
So far, police have little to go on as far as investigating the shootings. The shooters, or shooter, are apparently targeting the vehicles at random, aiming at passenger cars, pickup trucks, box trucks and a commercial bus. They also don’t have a patterned time of day, with the shootings taking place in the day and at night, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Currently, no one has been killed or seriously injured. One girl did suffer an injury, but it isn’t clear if she was struck by a bullet, or debris from the bullet’s impact.
Department of Public Safety Director Frank Milstead is calling the string of incidents “domestic terrorism crimes.”
“Anytime that you have multiple shootings against American citizens on a highway, that’s terrorism,” Milstead said. “They’re trying to frighten or kill somebody. It’s just a matter of time before there is a tragedy.”
“Ten days, nine incidents,” Milstead added at a news conference. “This is a real and continuing threat to Arizona motorists.”
Along with the Department of Public Safety, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and local police have been called in to help with the investigation to find out who is terrorizing the area. The police are conducting surveillance in the city. They are also sending out undercover cops, the SWAT team and a gang task force. However, as the investigation is ongoing, they are not releasing further details.
“We’re not going to give the nuts and bolts of our investigation,” said DPS spokesman Bart Graves. He adds, by doing so it “would help the bad guy.”
The police have also been asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects, asking for reports of suspicious activity and putting messages on billboards. Today, they quadrupled their reward to $20,000.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said in a statement that “the safety of Arizonans is our No. 1 priority, and we are committed to apprehending those responsible for these crimes,” according to ABC News.
[Photo via Shutterstock]
