Glendale Police Make Arrest In Shooting Death Of 7-Year-Old Girl

GLENDALE, AZ —A 29-year-old man was arrested Thursday in Phoenix in connection with the early-Thursday morning shooting death of a 7-year-old girl in Glendale, the Glendale Police Department said.

Terriance Armstrong Jr. was detained by Glendale Detectives with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Task Force on charges of homicide, drive-by shooting, aggravated assault, prohibited possessor, endangerment, unlawful discharge of a firearm and possession of narcotics for sale, according to authorities.

Police said that items of evidentiary value were discovered in relation to the homicide, along with approximately 3,000 fentanyl pills.

Glendale police said that while being interviewed by detectives after his arrest, Armstrong said he had gotten into an argument with a man before the shooting and that he shot multiple rounds from his handgun at the car in which the little girl was a passenger.

The victim was riding in the backseat of the car with her mother, the mother's male friend and her 5-year-old sister just after midnight when she was shot multiple times. She later died at the hospital, police said. The victim's name has not been released.

According to police reports, the incident began when the victim's mother's male friend got into a verbal altercation with another man, believed to be the suspect, near 65th Avenue and Bethany Home Road

The male friend then got into the car with the mother and her two children and they drove off eastbound on Bethany Home Road.

Police said somewhere on Bethany Home Road between 65th Avenue and 55th Avenue a suspect in a sedan fired at the vehicle, hitting the 7-year-old child. No one else inside the vehicle was injured.

According to police, Armstrong's vehicle was identified as the vehicle of interest in the shooting and was located by detectives. Multiple leads were developed of possible persons of interest before Armstrong was detained.

Glendale Mayor Jerry P. Weiers released a statement offering condolences to the family of the victim, who was about to turn 8 years old, and he thanked the authorities for their work on the case.

"Our condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of the 7-year-old girl whose life was needlessly taken overnight," Weiers said. "Our police department worked diligently to find and apprehend the suspect of this terrible crime. It's tragic when these types of events happen, especially to the most innocent. We give our full support to the men and women in blue who tirelessly work for our citizens and justice."