A Marana man is facing an aggravated assault charge after police say a confrontation on the Interstate 10 frontage road near Ina Road turned into gunfire, leaving one person hospitalized in critical but stable condition. Brian Pace, 42, was booked into the Pima County jail, and a judge has since set strict conditions on any release while the case moves forward.
According to the KVOA, Pace was booked into Pima County jail on one count of aggravated assault this week. The outlet reports that Marana police had been investigating the shooting as a possible road rage incident since officers were called to the scene on October 1.
Officers responded to the area of Ina Road and the I-10 frontage road around 3:28 p.m. that day after receiving two separate reports of gunshots and a possible road rage situation, according to KVOA's earlier reporting. Witnesses told police they heard what they believed were gunshots before seeing someone fall to the ground. The victim received medical treatment and was taken to a hospital, where the person was last reported to be in critical but stable condition.
Charges Follow Weeks of Investigation
In the days immediately after the shooting, investigators had not yet filed charges while they worked to determine exactly what happened. Preliminary information suggested the shooting may have originated from a road rage incident, though that detail remained unconfirmed as the investigation continued.
That changed this week. KOLD reports that the shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. on October 1, and that Pace was arrested on the aggravated assault charge after the investigation progressed. A judge set Pace's bond at $1,500, though the station notes the state had asked for a $10,000 bond. The judge also ordered that Pace cannot contact the victim or possess firearms if he is released.
Second Shooting Involving a Veteran in a Week
The Marana case was notable for another reason, according to the same report: it marked the second shooting in Marana in less than a week that involved a veteran. That report also noted that 55-year-old Charles Whipple was arrested after allegedly shooting someone in the drive-through of a local In-N-Out in late September.
Road rage violence has surfaced elsewhere in the Tucson area in recent years. In one case detailed by the Arizona Daily Star, 53-year-old Louis James Gallardo was fatally stabbed after the drivers of two vehicles stopped on Interstate 10 near South Craycroft Road and got into a physical confrontation, with tucson.com reporting that no arrests had been made and the investigation remained ongoing at the time.
Marana police are continuing to ask anyone with information about the October 1 shooting to come forward. Tipsters can call 88-CRIME or reach the Marana Police Department directly by email at [email protected].
