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MURDER CHARGE

Mesa police make arrest in shooting death of woman

A 44-year-old man has been arrested as the suspect in the shooting death of a woman Tuesday morning at a bus stop near Center and McKellips in Mesa, police said.

Andrew Rada was booked into jail on one count of first-degree murder in the killing of Michelle Flippin, 52, police said.

Just after 7:30 a.m. Oct. 8, Mesa officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting an “active shooter” near the ARCO gas station at 25 W. McKellips Road, according to a release. Witnesses described a man with a rifle, later identified as Rada, firing shots south on Center Street from the ARCO parking lot.

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MURDER CHARGE

Mesa police make arrest in shooting death of woman

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A 44-year-old man has been arrested as the suspect in the shooting death of a woman Tuesday morning at a bus stop near Center and McKellips in Mesa, police said.

Andrew Rada was booked into jail on one count of first-degree murder in the killing of Michelle Flippin, 52, police said.

Just after 7:30 a.m. Oct. 8, Mesa officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting an “active shooter” near the ARCO gas station at 25 W. McKellips Road, according to a release. Witnesses described a man with a rifle, later identified as Rada, firing shots south on Center Street from the ARCO parking lot.

Officers arrived to find Flippin unresponsive near a bus stop just south of the gas station. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rada left the area in a burgundy Ram truck, heading west on McKellips Road. With a detailed description provided by witnesses, authorities said, the Mesa Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center located the vehicle, and officers conducted a traffic stop at McKellips Road and Loop 202.

Rada was taken into custody without incident. A passenger in the truck was also detained for an unrelated felony warrant but is not facing charges related to the shooting, police said.

“During questioning, Rada admitted to being involved in the shooting, claiming that Flippin was waving a weapon,” police stated in the release. “However, investigators confirmed that Flippin was unarmed, and there is no known connection between the two.”

Investigators are not looking for any additional suspects and said the case appears to be an isolated incident.

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