8-year-old girl dies after road rage shooting, police say

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5/Gray News) -- An 8-year-old who was fighting for her life after being shot in a violent road rage incident last week has died, Arizona’s Family reported.

The victim has been identified as 8-year-old Cassidy Moreno.

The deadly incident began as a road-rage incident involving the drivers of a Jeep Wrangler and a black car, Sgt. Brian Bower with Phoenix police said on Thursday.

Phoenix police and firefighters responded to the area of 16th Street and Greenway Parkway around 11 a.m. on Thursday. Cassidy’s father says the driver of the Jeep seemingly became upset when he had turned left in front of him.

The 48-year-old Jeep driver, identified as Sidney Garrand, followed the car with five people inside, including Cassidy and her two sisters, police said.

Both drivers ended up stopping at an intersection, and both men got out and began fighting in the intersection. During the fight, the 28-year-old father stabbed the other man before jumping back into his car, authorities said.

Police said the car driver began to drive away, but Garrand allegedly pulled out a gun and began shooting. Cassidy, who was sitting in the middle of the backseat, was hit.

The 8-year-old was rushed to the hospital, but she died Saturday night.

“I think for us it’s just a matter of letting people know that she wasn’t just the 8-year-old victim,” said Thali Vargas, Cassidy’s aunt.“That she was somebody’s daughter, sister, niece. I think for me what’s really hard is it didn’t have to escalate to that point on either end.”

The two men were also hospitalized after the shooting.

Garrand was treated and released from the hospital, then booked into the Maricopa County jail on Monday. After his arrest, he refused to speak with detectives and invoked his right to an attorney.

He is charged with homicide and multiple counts of assault.

Authorities previously said that the girl was hospitalized but in stable condition. Early Tuesday morning, police confirmed she passed away.