Phoenix Police Say 13 Shootings Related

The Associated Press
Monday, July 10, 2006; 9:25 AM



PHOENIX -- Police believe 13 shootings since May, including two during the weekend that wounded two people, are connected, possibly making it the third series of shooting attacks in the city over the past year.

The most recent shootings follow 11 others that began on May 2, Sgt. Andy Hill said.

Detectives are not positive they all are linked but evidence and circumstances lead them to believe they are. The 13 shootings happened late in the evening or early in the morning, and most involved people walking or riding bicycles.

Early Saturday, a woman was shot in the head as she was walking. About 20 minutes later a man was shot in the back.

A task force of detectives already was trying to track down a serial killer they believe is responsible for five killings and a series of rapes and assaults that began in August. They're also investigating a series of at least 25 random shootings of animals and people in which several people have died since May 2005.

There's nothing to link the recent string of cases to the earlier serial crimes, Hill said.

© 2006 The Associated Press