Arizona authorities on Friday said they arrested a suspect in a series of freeway shootings earlier this month that left the Phoenix area rattled and on edge.
Bart Graves from Arizona Department of Public Safety confirmed in an email to BuzzFeed News that a suspect had been arrested.
"Yes, we have a suspect," he said.
It was unclear if authorities believed the man was responsible for some or all of the shootings.
The suspect was not immediately identified by law enforcement, but a spokesman for the governor reportedly identified him as 21-year-old Leslie Allen Merritt.
Officials at the governor's office could not immediately be reached for comment. However, Gov. Doug Ducey did tweet that a suspect was taken into custody by a SWAT team.
Arizona Department of Public Safety
Authorities planned to release more details on the arrest at a news conference later Friday night.
According to the Associated Press, a man was arrested about 7 p.m. near a Walmart in Glendale, west of Phoenix.
Eleven confirmed shootings had been investigated since Aug. 29, when three vehicles, including an unoccupied commercial tour bus, were struck by bullets on Interstate 10 near Phoenix within one hour of each other, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The most recent incidents were reported Thursday. Most of the impacts occurred along Interstate 10.
No one has been seriously hurt in the series of shootings, although a 13-year-old girl did suffer minor cuts from shattered glass.
Three teens had been arrested earlier on suspicion of a copycat crime — slingshotting rocks at a vehicle.
A separate person of interest — 19-year-old Oscar De La Torre Munoz, of Avondale — was detained but police said he was not a prime suspect.
Authorities had posted a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest in the case. It was not immediately clear if it had played a role in Friday night's arrest.
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