Phoenix freeway shooting suspect: 'I'm the wrong guy', A landscaper arrested in a alternation of Phoenix freeway shootings told a adjudicator Saturday that authorities accept "the amiss guy" as board stood by their detective plan that traced the gun to the doubtable afterwards he took it to a assurance shop.
Leslie Allen Merritt Jr. was answerable with counts including aggravated assault, bent damage, chaotic conduct, accustomed out a drive-by cutting and advised acts of terrorism.
In a abrupt cloister appearance, a prosecutor said the 21-year-old should face a top bond afterwards drivers spent the endure three weeks on edge.
"The doubtable presents a affecting and abstruse blackmail to the community," said Ed Leiter of the Maricopa County attorney's office.
Superior Cloister Commissioner Lisa Roberts set bond at $1 million, and Merritt, who had remained quiet during the proceedings, asked in a affable articulation to abode the court.
"All I accept to say is I'm the amiss guy. I approved cogent the detectives that. My gun's been in the assurance boutique the endure two months. I haven't even had admission to a weapon," he said as he stood abandoned in a atramentous and white striped bastille uniform.
Merritt was arrested Friday black afterwards a SWAT aggregation swarmed him at a Wal-Mart in the suburb of Glendale. Minutes later, Gov. Doug Ducey proclaimed on Twitter, "We got him!"
Arizona Department of Accessible Safety abettor Bart Graves said the breach in the case was the aftereffect of all-embracing analytic plan in which weapons from bounded assurance shops were test-fired at the accompaniment abomination lab.
Graves said affirmation from carapace casings and ammo bits bent that a gun Merritt pawned was acclimated in four of the shootings on Aug. 29 and 30. A bout bus, SUV and two cars were hit by bullets on Interstate 10 on those days.
"Today we are seeing the end aftereffect of some absurd badge work," he said at a account conference.
Graves beneath to animadversion on Merritt's account in cloister that his gun was in the assurance boutique at the time of the shootings and agnate statements fabricated by his family.
"The affirmation as you'll see in the next brace of canicule speaks for itself," Graves said. "We're not traveling to get in a agitation about that."Tom Mangan, a appropriate abettor with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which has been acceptable in the investigation, said the affirmation aggregate by DPS leaves "no doubt" the gun acclimated was the one endemic and pawned by Merritt.
According to Mangan, a ammo contains assertive acreage and canal impressions afterwards it's been accursed that are different to a accurate firearm. Firearms examiners would accept test-fired the suspect's gun and begin impressions in the ammo that akin any ballistic affirmation recovered from the cutting scenes.
"That's a actual advantageous analytic advance that that gun wasn't destroyed or befuddled into the basal of a river or buried," Mangan said.
A man who articular himself as a administrator at Mo-Money Assurance beneath to animadversion Saturday above a column on a Facebook page that said detectives contacted the boutique Wednesday searching for a assertive adeptness and accomplish of blaster and advised several weapons.
Eleven cars in all were hit by bullets or added projectiles, such as BBs or pellets, while active forth Phoenix freeways amid Aug. 29 and Sept. 10. There accept been no austere injuries, although a 13-year-old girl's ear was cut by bottle if a ammo burst a car window.
Department of Accessible Safety Director Frank Milstead said the analysis continues into who is abaft the added shootings.
"Are there others out there? Are there copycats? That is possible," he said.
Graves said detectives interrogated Merritt "virtually all night."
"There's some bliss actuality that this section of the pie has been solved, but we are still feverishly alive to blanket up all these apart ends," he said.
Messages gluttonous tips about the shootings will abide acquaint on cyberbanking signs forth freeways, and a $50,000 accolade is still available, Graves said.
In an account with The Associated Press, Merritt's ancestor was determined that his son had annihilation to do with the shootings and anyone who says he was complex is a "moron."
Leslie Merritt Sr. said he believes his son is accepting fabricated a dupe by badge who were atrocious to accomplish an arrest beneath immense accessible pressure.
"He has way too abundant amount for animal activity to even yield the aboriginal or far-off accident of in fact abasing someone," the ancient Merritt said. He said his son brand accoutrements but is not a criminal.
Merritt Jr.'s Facebook page, accepted by his father, has two video clips that appearance him battlefront accoutrements into the arid against a approach tree, exclaiming "whoo" afterwards binding off a round.
The Wal-Mart area Merritt Jr. was arrested Friday is 6 afar arctic of area some of the shootings occurred forth I-10, a above avenue through the city.
The shootings prompted several academy districts to accumulate their buses off freeways, and some commuters adapted their routes.
Sarah Madder, of Phoenix, said she'll break off I-10 for a few added canicule admitting the arrest.
"It seems like there had to accept been added than one person," Madder said Saturday. "If it calms down for a while, I'll get aback on."
Dustin Ramirez, who was accepting ammunition at a Phoenix gas station, said there are still a lot of accessible questions if Merritt is doubtable of alone four of the 11 accepted shootings.
"It's a little unnerving, but you got to adore their adeptness to bolt the guy in the aboriginal place," Ramirez said.
Meanwhile Friday, a adjudicator ordered the absolution of a 19-year-old man who was arrested on an declared acquittal abuse Sept. 11 and questioned apropos the shootings. Authorities accept beneath to explain the man's affiliation to the case but said he was not a prime suspect. According to Graves, "We apperceive area he is. We're still absorbed in him."
Three adolescent men aswell were arrested and accused of casting rocks at cars with slingshots in a case that authorities alleged a copycat to the shootings.
Leslie Allen Merritt Jr. was answerable with counts including aggravated assault, bent damage, chaotic conduct, accustomed out a drive-by cutting and advised acts of terrorism.
In a abrupt cloister appearance, a prosecutor said the 21-year-old should face a top bond afterwards drivers spent the endure three weeks on edge.
"The doubtable presents a affecting and abstruse blackmail to the community," said Ed Leiter of the Maricopa County attorney's office.
Superior Cloister Commissioner Lisa Roberts set bond at $1 million, and Merritt, who had remained quiet during the proceedings, asked in a affable articulation to abode the court.
"All I accept to say is I'm the amiss guy. I approved cogent the detectives that. My gun's been in the assurance boutique the endure two months. I haven't even had admission to a weapon," he said as he stood abandoned in a atramentous and white striped bastille uniform.
Merritt was arrested Friday black afterwards a SWAT aggregation swarmed him at a Wal-Mart in the suburb of Glendale. Minutes later, Gov. Doug Ducey proclaimed on Twitter, "We got him!"
Arizona Department of Accessible Safety abettor Bart Graves said the breach in the case was the aftereffect of all-embracing analytic plan in which weapons from bounded assurance shops were test-fired at the accompaniment abomination lab.
Graves said affirmation from carapace casings and ammo bits bent that a gun Merritt pawned was acclimated in four of the shootings on Aug. 29 and 30. A bout bus, SUV and two cars were hit by bullets on Interstate 10 on those days.
"Today we are seeing the end aftereffect of some absurd badge work," he said at a account conference.
Graves beneath to animadversion on Merritt's account in cloister that his gun was in the assurance boutique at the time of the shootings and agnate statements fabricated by his family.
"The affirmation as you'll see in the next brace of canicule speaks for itself," Graves said. "We're not traveling to get in a agitation about that."Tom Mangan, a appropriate abettor with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which has been acceptable in the investigation, said the affirmation aggregate by DPS leaves "no doubt" the gun acclimated was the one endemic and pawned by Merritt.
According to Mangan, a ammo contains assertive acreage and canal impressions afterwards it's been accursed that are different to a accurate firearm. Firearms examiners would accept test-fired the suspect's gun and begin impressions in the ammo that akin any ballistic affirmation recovered from the cutting scenes.
"That's a actual advantageous analytic advance that that gun wasn't destroyed or befuddled into the basal of a river or buried," Mangan said.
A man who articular himself as a administrator at Mo-Money Assurance beneath to animadversion Saturday above a column on a Facebook page that said detectives contacted the boutique Wednesday searching for a assertive adeptness and accomplish of blaster and advised several weapons.
Eleven cars in all were hit by bullets or added projectiles, such as BBs or pellets, while active forth Phoenix freeways amid Aug. 29 and Sept. 10. There accept been no austere injuries, although a 13-year-old girl's ear was cut by bottle if a ammo burst a car window.
Department of Accessible Safety Director Frank Milstead said the analysis continues into who is abaft the added shootings.
"Are there others out there? Are there copycats? That is possible," he said.
Graves said detectives interrogated Merritt "virtually all night."
"There's some bliss actuality that this section of the pie has been solved, but we are still feverishly alive to blanket up all these apart ends," he said.
Messages gluttonous tips about the shootings will abide acquaint on cyberbanking signs forth freeways, and a $50,000 accolade is still available, Graves said.
In an account with The Associated Press, Merritt's ancestor was determined that his son had annihilation to do with the shootings and anyone who says he was complex is a "moron."
Leslie Merritt Sr. said he believes his son is accepting fabricated a dupe by badge who were atrocious to accomplish an arrest beneath immense accessible pressure.
"He has way too abundant amount for animal activity to even yield the aboriginal or far-off accident of in fact abasing someone," the ancient Merritt said. He said his son brand accoutrements but is not a criminal.
Merritt Jr.'s Facebook page, accepted by his father, has two video clips that appearance him battlefront accoutrements into the arid against a approach tree, exclaiming "whoo" afterwards binding off a round.
The Wal-Mart area Merritt Jr. was arrested Friday is 6 afar arctic of area some of the shootings occurred forth I-10, a above avenue through the city.
The shootings prompted several academy districts to accumulate their buses off freeways, and some commuters adapted their routes.
Sarah Madder, of Phoenix, said she'll break off I-10 for a few added canicule admitting the arrest.
"It seems like there had to accept been added than one person," Madder said Saturday. "If it calms down for a while, I'll get aback on."
Dustin Ramirez, who was accepting ammunition at a Phoenix gas station, said there are still a lot of accessible questions if Merritt is doubtable of alone four of the 11 accepted shootings.
"It's a little unnerving, but you got to adore their adeptness to bolt the guy in the aboriginal place," Ramirez said.
Meanwhile Friday, a adjudicator ordered the absolution of a 19-year-old man who was arrested on an declared acquittal abuse Sept. 11 and questioned apropos the shootings. Authorities accept beneath to explain the man's affiliation to the case but said he was not a prime suspect. According to Graves, "We apperceive area he is. We're still absorbed in him."
Three adolescent men aswell were arrested and accused of casting rocks at cars with slingshots in a case that authorities alleged a copycat to the shootings.
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