Phoenix freeway shootings update: Charges filed against suspect, Leslie Allen

Minutes after a state police SWAT team arrested Merritt, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey broadcast the news on social media: “We got him!”

Last Friday night, authorities made a break in the case when they arrested Merritt.

Merritt is in jail and is awaiting a court hearing scheduled for Friday.

Merritt was arrested without incident on September 18 while entering a Wal-Mart store after police said they were able to “forensically link” four of the shootings to his handgun, which was found later by investigators at a local pawn store. He said that during the time the shootings occurred, he didn’t have the pistol that police traced to a pawnshop last week.

“I understand the frustration by some with respect to the limited amount of information released by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to date,” said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery in statement announcing the charges. However, since state police believe that copycats might be shooting guns or other weapons onto the freeway, the investigation remains open, according to the Associated Press. “I haven’t even had access to a weapon”. Especially now that the owner of the pawn shop says his records show Merritt’s gun was not in the shop for two months.

Halverson says the fact Merritt pawned his gun is not consistent with a gunman who wants to cover his tracks and avoid getting caught, since most people are aware that pawn shops regularly turn their records over to police.

Three possible shootings were reported on August 29, including one in which the windshield of a sport utility vehicle shattered and a 13-year-old girl sustained a cut ear.

The BMW was parked at Phoenix Sky Harbor worldwide Airport on August. 27 and retrieved Aug. 30. Agency Director Frank Milstead had been briefing Ducey on developments regarding the suspect.

Trump even saved some arrows for Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, repeating his assertion that she, during the 2008 presidential campaign, started the discredited “birther” movement whose members falsely claim that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States.

A week earlier, police took a 19-year-old into custody as a person of interest and later released him.

Investigators say eight cars were hit with bullets and three were struck with projectiles such as BBs or pellets.