Arizona police have arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly shooting dead a 10-year-old girl following an apparent road rage incident.
Joshua Gonzalez was booked on one count of first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault on Friday in connection with the killing of Summerbell Brown, Phoenix police announced at a news conference.
Sgt Vince Lewis said Gonzalez has an extensive criminal history and was identified by authorities through a tip.
The truck the suspect was driving when he allegedly shot Summerbell and her father as well as the weapon used have been recovered.
Police said Gonzalez had tried to ‘alter the truck’s appearance’ to avoid being recognized after photos of it and a composite sketch of the suspect were released.
Joshua Gonzalez, 20, was arrested on Friday and charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault in the death of 10-year-old Summerbell Brown
Summerbell Brown was shot dead Wednesday in the driveway of her family’s home in Phoenix
Surveillance video shows the moment the man in a white Ford truck pulled up and fired several shots at the family in the driveway of their home in Phoenix on Wednesday evening.
Phoenix Police Sgt Vince Lewis said prior to the shooting, the Browns’ car, driven by the father, got ‘very close’ to Gonzalez’ vehicle when it turned onto their street.
‘As soon as the truck was behind the victim, he stayed relatively close, as if he was intentionally following the victim,’ Lewis said.
When the car parked in the driveway, Gonzalez allegedly opened fire.
Summerbell was sleeping in the backseat of the car when she was shot.
This photo provided by the Phoenix Police Department shows a security video photo of what is believed to be the suspect’s vehicle in the road rage incident
A bullet also struck her father, Dharquintium Brown, who was injured but is expected to make a full recovery.
‘I got out my vehicle and I asked them what’s going on, what’s up, because he stopped my house,’ Dharquintium told KXNV after the shooting.
‘And I asked him “what’s up”, and he just got to firing. He shot my car and he shot me right here and he shot up my house and he killed my daughter.’
The Summerbell’s mother, Taneisha Brown, broke down in tears as she described locking eyes with the gunman seconds before he opened fire.
‘I looked at him dead in the face, he had this deranged look. He looked like he was high on something’ Taniesha told KXNV, noting that the man’s pupils were dilated.
‘As soon as I looked at him in his eyes, he just “boom, boom, boom, boom, boom” through the car. He didn’t even reach the gun outside the window, he shot through his door.’
Summerbell has been described as a straight-A student who loved gymnastics. Taniesha said of her daughter: ‘She was just a baby. There was no reason for her to be taken like this’
Summerbell’s mother Taniesha Brown described the moment she locked eyes with the gunman before he opened fire, saying: ‘I looked at him dead in the face, he had this deranged look. He looked like he was high on something’
Summerbell’s father Dharquintium Brown was also shot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Dharquintium said he had stepped out of his car to confront the driver of the pickup truck when he opened fire
Sgt Vince Lewis with Phoenix Police said the fact that the pickup was driving so close behind the family’s vehicle as they arrived at their home indicated that a traffic dispute may have led to the shooting.
‘It’s possible that this was a road rage that started earlier in the area prior to the victim’s family arriving at home,’ Lewis told KTAR.
He added: ‘Driving is a stressful situation that requires all of your attention, so if you do encounter an aggressive driver, we’re asking that you call Phoenix Police.’
He said there was no immediate indication that the family and the shooter knew each other.
‘She was just a baby. There was no reason for her to be taken like this,’ Taniesha said of Summerbell, a straight-A student who loved dancing and gymnastics.
‘I’m going to miss her every day, think about her every day. This nightmare is going to replay in my head every day. I can’t sleep. I just hope she is at peace. I just hope she’s at peace.’
A GoFundMe has been set up for little Summer following her tragic death.
Anyone with information is urged to call 480-WITNESS.
Taniesha is embraced by a loved one as she speaks about her daughter’s death
Police said a pickup truck that had been following a family’s car fired several gunshots after the family pulled into their driveway
Two other family members, the girl’s mother and sister, weren’t injured following the shooting
Police had released the sketch above of the suspect originally believed to be a male in his 30s or 40s with a short beard, who was wearing a dark baseball cap during the shooting