America is without a doubt, filled with level-headed gun owners who are all about responsible gun ownership. But, there are some who obviously do not share those views, which is apparent in the increase in indiscriminate mass shootings across the country, something that is definitely not a media invention. In fact, according to GunsAreCool subreddit, a cheeky sounding community that tracks mass shooting incidents in the US, we now average at least one mass shooting incident per day, which is insane when you think about it.
The recent freeway shooting incidents on the I-10 had left drivers on their toes, and many others avoiding Interstate 10 altogether for weeks. According to local reports, around 11 vehicles were hit by bullets, pellets or BBs, which carried on from August 29 to September 10. Miraculously, no deaths were reported during the incidents, the reports of which were plastered all over CNN during that time.
What’s interesting though is that the one suspect that has been taken into police custody denies having any involvement in the shootings. According to Bart Graves from the Public Information Office for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, local police arrested Leslie Allen Merritt Jr. a 21-year old landscaper on Friday, who is suspected of the recent Phoenix highway shootings.
But, while residents gave a sigh of relief, the suspect, Merritt says he had nothing to do with the case. The 21-year old was seen shaking his head as the judge set bail at $1 million. Later on, the suspect told the judge, “All I have to say is I’m the wrong guy.” But, that’s what you’d expect from anyone sitting in front of a judge and implicated in a mass shooting case. Right!
The proceedings took an interesting turn when Merritt, added, “I tried to tell the detectives that my gun has been in the pawn shop for the past two months. I haven’t even had access to a weapon.”
The police however maintain that Merritt has been forensically linked to the first four shootings on the I-10. Which begs the question, who‘s responsible for the other 7 shooting incidents which took place on the I-10 between August 29 and September 10?
Meanwhile, the suspect has been charged with felonies ranging from drive-by shooting and aggravated assault to intentional acts of terrorism, discharging a firearm within city limits and criminal damage. Merritt is due in court on Friday.
According to Daniel Scarpinato the spokesman for Gov. Doug Ducey, Merritt was arrested while shopping at Walmart in Glendale, which is one of the suburbs in Phoenix, after local authorities got a tip that a 9 mm was pawned, which was the same firearm type used in the I-10 shootings. While the bullets of the pawned gun match the bullet fragments found at the first four incidents, the authorities are still unclear if the suspect is connected to the other seven shooting incidents, or if they are dealing with an accomplice or a copycat shooter.
According to Merritt’s dad who spoke to news channels after the arrest of his son, anyone who thinks that Merritt is the shooter is a moron. While state officials did express their relief after the arrest, they also said that the investigation was on going, which has once again, left the residents of Phoenix on edge. Authorities are also offering a $20,000 reward for any information which could lead to an arrest.
While there is no easy fix to the gun problem in the US, which has witnessed similar incidents in Chicago and Washington, places where there are strict gun laws, it is nevertheless an alarming fact that the level of gun-related violence in the US cannot be seen in other western nations.
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