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Are we the only ones who have seen the news over the first week of the year and are astounded at the number of shootings in and around Phoenix and throughout Arizona? We suspect that a visitor from another area of the world, or even most areas of the United States, would conclude that the “Wild West” had nothing on today’s Arizona in terms of gun violence.
Let’s take a look at some of the stories that have been reported over just the last six days:
- A Phoenix woman was shot while she was sleeping when a bullet entered her apartment through a window. Police described the incident as “random gunfire.”
- A resident of San Tan Valley has been arrested for shooting her husband “by mistake.” Police say that they received a 911 call from the woman, who said that she mistakenly shot her husband, thinking that he was an “intruder” breaking into her car. He husband was on the ground when they arrived, suffering from gunshot wounds to his chest and hand. Although the woman claims that it was a mistake, police also say she told them that her husband had taken her car keys to go out for some milk. Finally, they say that there have been prior domestic violence calls to the home. The woman has been charged with aggravated assault.
- An off-duty Maricopa County deputy was shot at after he chased a truck that was parked the wrong way in front of the home of a family member. He claims that during the chase, the suspect in the truck fired at him and a passenger in his vehicle.
- A man and a woman were arrested on Friday after they allegedly tried to shoplift a drill from a Sears store at Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale. The woman reportedly drew a handgun when confronted by a security guard outside the store. Police say that a former United States Marine who was in the parking area witnessed the scene and began firing at the couple, although it is unclear whether anyone was hit.
- Three men have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery in Phoenix that police say led to the shooting of a Phoenix police officer and a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Posse member.
These aren’t all the news reports of shootings over the past few days. The alleged shooters in these cases were the wife of a victim, a bystander in a shoplifting case, a man being chased in a vehicle, and alleged armed robbers. Perhaps more interesting is the case of the woman who was shot while sleeping, a case described by police as a “random gunfire.” As scary as the shooting itself, is the fact that the police apparently have a term of art they use to describe it!
Law Offices of David A. Black
40 North Central Avenue #1850
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(480) 280-8028
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