July 14, 2016
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Arizona police believe a serial killer may be responsible for a series of shootings in the Phoenix area that have left seven people dead, and are urging witnesses to come forward.
"Someone out there knows who did this," Phoenix police chief Joseph Yahner said in a statement on Tuesday.
"We need our community to call us... and help us solve these cases, bring justice to these families and victims, and prevent more violence from occurring."
The assaults, which have left seven people dead and several injured, began in March when a 16-year-old was shot and wounded while walking in the street.
Several similar incidents followed through June 12 with most of the victims who died shot outside their home at night, police said.
Yahner said detectives are working to establish whether other similar incidents in the Phoenix area since the start of the year could be related to the same serial killer.
Investigators have released a sketch of the suspect -- believed to be a white or Hispanic man in his 20s -- based on information provided by a witness.
A $30,000 reward has also been offered for information that leads to an arrest.
