A random drive-by shooting spree in the suburbs northwest of Phoenix has left one person dead, three others shot, and another nine treated for minor injuries. On Thursday afternoon, police in Surprise, Arizona, announced that officers had stopped the suspected shooter’s vehicle and that a lone suspect had taken into custody. The surprise police department initially tweeted that authorities responded to reports of an active shooter in the West Valley, some 20 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix, around 12:30 p.m. local time.
Officials said the chaotic shooting spree spanned eight distinct locations where shots were fired. The gunman drove through the area in a white SUV, shooting at random people. The first incident happened around 11:10 a.m. near the Glendale-Peoria border and lasted until the suspect was caught at 12:42 p.m.
Police stated that four persons were shot, and one of them died due to bullet wounds. Sheffert said the other victims had a variety of injuries, including being wounded by shrapnel. Banner Health officials say nine patients have been admitted to three of their hospitals.
However, details about the victims’ injuries and current statuses were not immediately available.
The suspects’ identity was not immediately revealed. Authorities suspect he did it on his own. They haven’t figured out what inspired him yet. At a news conference, Peoria police spokesperson Brandon Sheffert said, “We don’t know nexus, we don’t know what the purpose was, we don’t have an idea of what this person thought when he went out and did this.” “We want to find this out because there are a lot of people who are worried and who are touched by this.”
Authorities received a description of the getaway vehicle from witnesses. The perpetrator was apprehended after a traffic stop in Surprise. According to the Peoria Police Department, multiple police agencies, including the Peoria and Surprise departments and the FBI, are investigating several shootings in the West Valley on Thursday afternoon. However, they did not provide any additional information or indicate whether the shootings were linked. Surprisingly, no additional information was released by the police.