# Phoenix shooter caught - bullet fragments lead to suspect.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phoenix-shooter-caught-bullet-fragments-lead-to-suspect/732010>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 20, 2015, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phoenix-shooter-caught-bullet-fragments-lead-to-suspect/732010 "2015-09-20T21:11:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2015, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phoenix-shooter-caught-bullet-fragments-lead-to-suspect/732010/1 "2015-09-20T21:11:10Z")

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Excellent job by the Arizona PD. I have to admit searching pawn shops wouldn’t be my first thought in solving the case. Why would an active shooter pawn his gun? Doesn’t he need it, to ah shoot more cars? 😕 Also, I thought practically everybody knew that police are notified of all pawned items. Serial numbers, descriptions etc. The law has been discussed on Pawn Stars several times. Pawning anything links you directly to that item. The last thing an active shooter wants. Hide it somewhere or throw it in a lake. For example, I might wrap it in a black plastic bag, climb a tree, and tape it securely to the trunk. Or bury it somewhere.

So, the cops actually did ballistic tests on every pawned 9mm? Until they found the right gun? Based on an assumption the shooter pawned it? 😕 doesn’t make sense, but it worked.

Great job by the cops. Glad this guy is no longer a threat to Interstate drivers.

> **[Phoenix freeway shootings: Bullet fragments lead to suspect Leslie Allen...](https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/breaking/2015/09/19/phoenix-freeway-shootings-bullet-fragments-lead-suspect-leslie-allen-merritt-jr/72487660/)**
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> Law-enforcement officials followed a trail of evidence from ballistics, to a gun, to freeway shootings suspect's arrest.

> [@](#):
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> Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves said the search for Merritt started with identifying bullet fragments from the first four shootings, which happened on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30. Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio, who cited a Phoenix police source on his Facebook page, identified the weapon as a 9mm handgun. A high-placed law-enforcement source confirmed that statement.
> 
> Investigators identified the type of gun and scoured Valley pawnshops for that kind of weapon. On Wednesday, that led to Mo Money Pawn in central Phoenix, which turned over the 9mm, at the request of investigators, for ballistic tests, according to a statement posted on the shop’s Facebook page. A Mo Money manager would not comment when asked about when the gun was pawned, deferring questions to DPS.

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2015, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phoenix-shooter-caught-bullet-fragments-lead-to-suspect/732010/2 "2015-09-20T21:18:33Z")

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I get the feeling something is being left out. They must have been on to this guy long before they went searching for 9mm’s at random pawn shops.

I wonder if he’s responsible for all 11 shootings? I wouldn’t be surprised if copy cats shot a couple cars. Thinking their crime would be assumed to be his?

Its amazing there were no major injuries or deaths.

> [@](#):
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> DPS has confirmed 11 shootings, mostly along Interstate 10 between 83rd Avenue and 32nd Street. During that period, eight vehicles were struck by bullets, while three were hit by unspecified projectiles, according to DPS. The bullets hit various parts of the vehicles, including windshields, passenger windows and a ladder.