PHOENIX — Phoenix police say a juvenile has been hospitalized and is expected to survive after being shot Monday afternoon. The incident reportedly happened near 27th Avenue and Van Buren Street just before 3 p.m.
According to Phoenix police, the suspect is in custody.
Police say the suspect, 33-year-old Mark Strickland, allegedly shot at a vehicle occupied by a man and the child. The man was not injured and the child received a graze wound.
Strickland and the man in the car are believed to know each other and have an ongoing dispute.
Strickland faces several charges, including aggravated assault.
ABC15 spoke to parents in the neighborhood who say it's unsettling.
"I am not too happy you know. My kids live here. We've been here like four years,” said Oscar Alba.
Alba's son is just three years old his daughter is five years old.
Alba is holding them a little closer after what unfolded Monday afternoon.
The investigation caught Alex Castellanos off-guard. But, he said he was not surprised.
"It's not that I am unfazed. It's just the world is the way it is. There are some people who can sometimes let their emotions get the best of them,” said Castellanos.
He's a father of five children who are all much older than the child police say was shot.
Castellanos encourages every parent to start young when it comes to helping protect children.
Police say the child's injuries are serious but non-life-threatening.
This is an ongoing investigation.
