Looks like the Phoenix area is seeing a rash of freeway shootings, but at least it's far less serious than the situation in Chicago.
http://breaking911.com/phoenix-on-alert-after-serial-freeway-shootings-4-vehicles-hit/
Greaat... I'm moving out there within the month. Hope whomever's responsible is caught by then.
This is a disconcerting story. Luckily no one has been seriously injured.
This is only anecdotal evidence, but I have noticed more aggressive and reckless driving around Phoenix lately. Lot's of races on the freeways at night. The other night I saw 2 motorcyclists fly past me going 100+. Less than a mile later they performed there own version of traffic break. They swerved and braked to slow the few cars behind them so they could begin racing from a stand still on the freeway.
Still going on: http://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/west-phoenix/dps-investigating-11th-shooting-on-phoenix-freeway
They will catch this shooter, and soon. The police can track the location of each shot and gather evidence. If the bullet is lodged, they get ballistics. And police have ways of tracking license plate reads and will find a pattern (plus cell phone location records, if this guy was dumb enough to take his phone with him).
This whole situation reminds me of a Criminal Minds episode in which there is a serial shooter on the freeways of Los Angeles.
A comment on one of the news stories on Facebook earlier caught my eye. What if the shooter isn't stationary when he shoots? What if he's in a car going the opposite direction just blind-firing across the median at oncoming traffic? Gun never comes out the window so the traffic cameras won't see it. If traffic is doing 70mph (variable speed would make it even more difficult), you would have to have the speed of every car in both directions, tracing where the shot exactly came from is almost impossible to figure out.
Anyone remember this same type stuff happening over a decade ago in the Maryland/Virginia area? Many people believed the shooter was in a white van as it passed by. The cops were stopping every white van they saw. Whenever a shooting happened, there was a white van in the area. Several people were killed in the incidents.
They eventually found the vehicle. It was a blue Chevy Caprice sedan, sitting in a rest area with the occupants sleeping. They modified the rear license plate so that they could pull the tag down, then shoot out a small hole behind where the license plate normally was located. But, there are so many white vans out there that anytime someone heard a shot, there was bound to be a white van in the area.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltway_sniper_attacks
http://www.12news.com/story/news/local/valley/2015/09/11/police-questioning-2-people-freeway-shootings/72075694/
Update a person has been detained in Arizona Sniper investigation
http://www.kpho.com/story/30013673/a-person-of-interest-in-freeway-shootings-makes-initial-court-appearance
Apparently suspect has to make a court appearance soon
Quote from: bing101 on September 12, 2015, 10:54:40 AM
Update a person has been detained in Arizona Sniper investigation
This was right across the street from my school; we almost had a lockdown because of it.
http://www.12news.com/story/news/local/valley/2015/09/11/police-questioning-2-people-freeway-shootings/72075694/
Apparently Law enforcement now says that the detained person is not the prime suspect in the sniper incidents.
http://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/west-phoenix/dps-investigating-truck-with-shattered-rear-window another shooting under investigation.
Deja vu...
If you don't know, the Capital Beltway snipers.
http://www.abc15.com/news/region-central-southern-az/maricopa/3-copycats-arrested-for-firing-rocks-at-cars
Now three people arrested for Copycat incidents.
Suspect has been arrested.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suspect-arrested-arizona-freeway-shootings-governor-says-n430196
http://www.abc15.com/news/local-news/investigations/who-is-phoenix-freeway-shooting-suspect-leslie-merritt-jr-has-faced-criminal-charges-before
Update suspect had criminal charges in the past.
About time they got caught!
Quote from: Henry on September 21, 2015, 11:54:54 AM
About time they got caught!
Has it stuck this time? They're sure this guy's the one?
Quote from: Rothman on September 21, 2015, 01:14:06 PM
Quote from: Henry on September 21, 2015, 11:54:54 AM
About time they got caught!
Has it stuck this time? They're sure this guy's the one?
The Arizona Department of Public Safety believes they have forensic evidence linking the suspect to 4 of 11 shootings. The DPS director does not rule out copycats.