Woman shot, killed at Mesa bus stop; suspect arrested
MESA, Ariz. - A man was arrested after police say a shooting at a Mesa intersection on Tuesday left a woman dead.
Mesa Police say the shooting happened just after 7 a.m. on Oct. 8 at Center Street and McKellips Road, when a man armed with a rifle began firing shots.
A bus that was in the area left, and a woman was found on the ground next to a bus stop. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and she's identified as 52-year-old Michelle Flippin.
Investigators say the suspect and another person fled in a vehicle heading westbound on McKellips. The vehicle was later stopped on Loop 202, and both people inside were detained.
Andrew Rada, 44, was ultimately arrested in connection to the woman's death. He was booked into jail on a $2 million cash bond.
Police say they are not looking for any other suspects and the shooting was an isolated incident.
‘She certainly did not deserve this'
Police think the victim was targeted at random, with no real motive from the suspect.
A GoFundMe page was set up for the victim, Michelle Flippin.
"We got witness who gave us a really good description of the suspect's vehicle," Mesa Police Det. Richard Encinas said. "We were able to then access our real-time cameras that were at that intersection and pull up live video as it was going on."
Officers were able to arrest Rada within minutes.
At the police station, Rada allegedly told detectives he was homeless and often parked at the gas station to ask strangers for money. Police also say he admitted to the shooting.
Rada claimed Flippin was waving a gun and yelling before he opened fire. But, police say Flippin was unarmed and alone, smoking a cigarette with her back turned when she was shot to death.
Her family released a statement, saying, "Our mom was an amazing woman. She was the most selfless person I knew, always putting others in front of herself. If you needed something, she would find a way to help even if she didn’t have the means to help. She cared so much about other people and wanted nothing but love in this world. Our mom was our rock. Family was everything to her. She would always protect her kids, protect anyone really. She was funny, she had a great sense of humor, and always knew the right thing to say. My siblings and I are in complete disbelief that something so vicious could happen to someone like her. Our rock, our protector, our mother was taken from us. She was on her way to get her new job going when this tragedy happened. She was minding her own business. She certainly did not deserve this. I ask kindly to give my family privacy during this time while we grieve. This is hard on all of us as this is something so sudden. We appreciate the community and all the kind words."