At least a dozen more vehicle and home windows were shot out Friday night with a BB gun in a pair of Phoenix neighborhoods just north of Interstate 10, officials said.
The shooting spree is the latest incident coming amidst an ongoing investigation into a rash of unsolved freeway shootings in the past few weeks.
Residents of the neighborhoods, located in the areas of 2100 West Cambridge and 1600 West McDowell, worried if the shootings were tied to the freeway shootings or the work of a copycat.
But the Department of Public Safety and Phoenix Police told ABC15 the shooting spree does not appear connected to the freeway investigation.
Phoenix Police arrested two teens in connection with the neighborhood shootings: 19-year-old Michael Kristopher Cuevas and a 15-year-old boy who was not identified because he’s a minor.
Cuevas has been charged with criminal damage, court records show.
In the neighborhoods, Phoenix police said officers found 13 victims so far. ABC15 has also confirmed one of the victims includes Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher, who declined to comment but issued the following statement through a city spokesperson.
“Since it is an active police investigation, the city manager is not in a position to provide comment on the incident. He appreciates the combined efforts of proactive neighbors and Phoenix Police in responding to the situation.”
A Phoenix Police spokesman also provided the following summary to ABC15:
“An adult male (19 year old Michael Kristopher Cuevas) and a 15 year old male were arrested and/or referred to juvenile court on September 11, 2015 after police found that they had criminally damaged approximately 13 vehicle and residential home windows in the areas of 2100 W Cambridge and 1600 W McDowell Rd. Officers had responded to the area after a witness observed the suspects breaking a window with a bb gun. Ultimately, police located 13 victims who had property damaged by these suspects. This does not appear related to the DPS investigation although the task force was notified of the arrest.”
A man who lives in the neighborhood tells ABC15 he saw it happening.
“They pulled in front of my house, they shot twice, you could see a little gun hanging out the window,” said Zach Murcer. “There was a driver and a passenger.”
Murcer says he hopped in the car and chased after the suspects until police arrived and arrested them.
“I just wanted to catch whoever was doing it. Because if that was them, if that was the I-10 shooter, I think anybody should have done that.”
Contact ABC15 Investigator Dave Biscobing at dbiscobing@abc15.com
