Ashin Tricario is the suspect accused in the West Valley shooting spree in Arizona that left one person dead and 12 injured over eight different shooting scenes.
Peoria, Arizona, police confirmed the suspect’s name. “@PeoriaPoliceAZ book West Valley shooting suspect into @mcsoaz – 19-year-old, Ashin Tricarico, of Surprise, Arizona facing multiple charges including murder. His motive is still unknown,” they wrote.
“The suspect in this case was booked into the Maricopa County Jail this morning at approximately 8:45 A.M. The suspect in this case has been identified as 19-year-old, Ashin Tricarico, of Surprise, Arizona. His motive is still unknown at this point as detectives are still sorting through evidence to determine exactly what occurred,” wrote police.
“The male suspect was booked on the following charges.
– 1st Degree Murder
– Aggravated Assault (Multiple Counts)
– Drive by Shooting (Multiple Counts)
– Endangerment.”
Tricario was being held on $1 million bail.
Multiple agencies announced on June 18, 2021, that they were investigating “several shootings” in the West Valley that left at least two people wounded. The suspect was taken into custody in Surprise, Arizona.
“INCIDENT ALERT: @PeoriaPoliceAZ along with multiple agencies are investigating several shootings in the West Valley this afternoon,” Peoria, Arizona, police wrote on Twitter. “The suspect was quickly located & taken into custody in Surprise, by @Surprise_PD. More info will be provided as it becomes available. #PeoiraPDAZ.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Authorities Say the Shootings Were ‘Random’
In a press release, police wrote on Facebook, “The victims range in age from 19-56 and are males and females of various races. A 3-year-old child was in one of the vehicles that was shot at but thankfully was not struck or injured. The homicide victim is a 56-year-old male. Our thoughts are with all the victim’s, their families and the communities involved.”
At 11:10, Peoria PD received a call about a vehicle shot by another vehicle. “We realized that same suspect vehicle, a white SUV, was involved in at least eight other incidents at this time,” said Brandon Sheffert, public information officer for the Peoria Police Department.
“We have a total of 13 victims total. Not all of them are gunshot victims,” he said. “The others have different types of injuries.” He mentioned shrapnel. The fatality involved a person in a vehicle who was dead of a gunshot wound, he said.
According to ABC 15, police say they believe the shootings were “random.” Surprise, Arizona, is a city in Maricopa County, that has a population of about 30,848. Surprise and Peoria are located in the West Valley area of the Phoenix Metropolitan area.
According to KGUN-TV, the shooting spree spanned 90 minutes. Sheffert reported that four people were shot, one fatally, and nine other people suffered various injuries during the drive-by shootings. The other people injured are expected to recover, he said.
Two People Were Shot in Surprise, Reports Say
INCIDENT ALERT: @PeoriaPoliceAZ along with multiple agencies are investigating several shootings in the West Valley this afternoon. The suspect was quickly located & taken into custody in Surprise, by @Surprise_PD. More info will be provided as it becomes available. #PeoiraPDAZ
“We have two people confirmed shot in random acts,” Surprise Police Sgt. Greg Welch told CNN. There were “multiple shooting locations,” CNN reported. The cable news network reported that one of the victims is in critical condition.
According to AZ Family.com, two people were shot in Surprise.
On the afternoon of June 17, 2021, Surprise, Arizona, police wrote on Twitter, “ACTIVE POLICE SITUATION – Shooting near 11400 W Bell Road – suspect at large – possibly driving a white VW Tiguan.”
AZ Family reported that, shortly after that shooting, “a vehicle was shot at on the Loop 303 and El Mirage Road in Surprise.”
They then provided this update: “SHOOTING UPDATE – Officers have made a traffic stop on the alleged vehicle involved and have detained 1 suspect.”
According to ABC 15, authorities were investigating whether the Surprise shooting suspect is connected to the other shootings in the West Valley.
The television station reported that the two people were shot at the 115th Avenue and Bell Road shooting; one of those people was left with life-threatening injuries.
The Loop 303 shooting involved a shot vehicle.
Then, reported ABC 15, a third shooting erupted at 99th Avenue and Northern, where a woman was shot and left with non life-threatening injuries.
So far no deaths have been reported. The suspect’s name and motive are not clear. The victims’ names and exact conditions have not been released.
People commented on Twitter. “That’s why all those police suvs were speeding down Bell Rd in Surprise this afternoon,” wrote one. “K makes sense why there was peoria police speeding on freeway that way,” wrote another. A third person responded to Peoria police, “Good job!! Thanks for keeping us safe from the idiots with handguns!”
Another wrote: “I heard the shots next to my work!”
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