Girl riding home from school with family shot dead in road-rage clash, Arizona cops say

A Phoenix man accused of shooting and killing an 8-year-old girl after a road-rage clash with her father faces a murder charge, Arizona police reported.

Sidney Garrand, 48, shot at the father’s vehicle as he drove away, killing a girl in the back seat in the incident at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, Phoenix police said in a news release.

Court documents say Garrand became upset when the other vehicle turned left in front of him at a four-way stop sign, AZ Family reported. The 28-year-old driver of the other vehicle had just picked his daughters up from school.

Garrand followed the other driver, then got out of his vehicle and attacked him, police said in the news release. The 28-year-old father stabbed Garrand, then got back into his vehicle and drove away, police said.

Police said Garrand pulled out a handgun and began shooting at the vehicle, striking the 8-year-old girl, who later died. No one else was hit.

Police arrested Garrand on Monday, Oct. 31, on a charge of first-degree murder.

He had been hospitalized in critical condition after the fight, KNXV reported. The 28-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

“I think for us it’s just a matter of letting people know that she wasn’t just the 8-year-old victim,” Thali Vargas, the slain girl’s aunt, told AZ Family. “That she was somebody’s daughter, sister, niece.”

This story was originally published November 2, 2022 at 9:58 AM with the headline "Girl riding home from school with family shot dead in road-rage clash, Arizona cops say."