An 11-year-old Nevada child died in a road rage incident while his stepfather was bringing him to school.
At a news conference on Friday, Nov. 14, the Henderson Police Department stated that the shooting took place around 7:30 a.m. that day, when the drivers of two automobiles engaged in a “verbal exchange” after one attempted to pass the other on the shoulder.
Following the exchange, a 22-year-old suspect, identified by the Henderson Police Department as Tyler Matthew Johns, fired a single shot from a revolver into the vehicle, striking the youngster seated in the back seat.
After the shooting, police say the boy’s stepfather “rammed” the suspect’s car with his own, leading both to come to a halt in the middle of the freeway. Both jumped out of their vehicles and engaged in a “heated exchange,” according to police.
An unspecified individual flagged down a police officer, who later arrested the culprit, according to the spokeswoman at the news conference. Emergency services and medical professionals at a neighboring hospital assisted the kid, but despite their “best efforts,” he died from his injuries.
Homicide investigators responded to the site and arrested the man on counts of open murder and shooting a firearm into an inhabited vehicle, according to police.
According to jail records obtained by PEOPLE, Johns is presently incarcerated at the Henderson Detention Center on a $20,000 bond.
In a Facebook post, the Henderson Police Department called the incident as a “senseless act.”
“Tonight, we’re asking our community to slow down, stay patient, and show restraint behind the wheel,” according to the message. “As the holiday season approaches, we frequently observe an uptick in crashes and unsafe driving habits around the valley – but tragedies like these are preventable. It begins with all of us.
The incident is still being investigated, and anyone with information on the shooting should contact the Henderson Police Department.
