AVONDALE, AZ — One man is dead and multiple others are hospitalized after police say, 29-year-old Raymond Pipkin, shot at multiple cars before crashing into a motorcycle and other vehicles.
The incident started near Avondale Boulevard and I-10 Saturday afternoon. Police say Pipkin was shooting at vehicles on the highway.
He eventually got off the highway and proceeded to crash into multiple vehicles near Avondale and Encanto boulevards. Pipkin was taken into custody at that intersection.
Three people were shot and three people were hospitalized due to the crashes, according to officials.
One man who was shot died at the hospital. Both of the other shooting victims, one of which is a 14-year-old boy, are in the hospital in critical, but stable condition. The driver of the motorcycle is also in critical, but stable condition.
Two others suffered minor injuries in one of the crashes.
The man who was killed has been identified as 34-year-old Gabriel Sotelo. Family tells ABC15 he had a wife and four kids.
On Sunday, the community came out to remember Soleto, dropping off candles and flowers outside of his barber shop in Glendale. People in the community knew him as “Young AZ Barber.”
A memorial is growing outside of Gabriel’s barber shop in Glendale, a place he loved & had so much passion for.
— Elenee Dao (@Elenee_Dao) November 21, 2022
His sister visited the memorial this evening, telling me she doesn’t know what they’ll do without him & can’t believe he’s gone because of “a senseless act.” @abc15 https://t.co/n8HKzIJNCT pic.twitter.com/GjTLTeG82U
While outside of his barber shop Sunday night, Sotelo’s sister told ABC15 he just got the place a few months ago and built everything he had by himself. She told ABC15 Gabriel was a big part of their lives, and she doesn’t know what they’ll do without him, adding that he was killed in a “senseless act.”
"He was an amazing, hardworking man... He was just a great man all around. A loyal man. Anyone who knows him knows that," family tells ABC15.
A GoFundMehas been set up to help cover funeral costs.
More than five cars were involved in crashes, due to the shooting, according to a spokesperson with the Avondale Police Department.
It is unknown why Pipkin began shooting, but he is facing multiple felony charges, including first-degree murder.
This is a developing story. Stay with ABC15 and abc15.com for the latest updates.
