Man sentenced to 45 years in prison for killing construction worker in Phoenix apartment rampage

PHOENIX — A man who opened fire on a construction crew at a Phoenix apartment complex three years ago, killing one worker, has been sentenced to 45 years in prison, authorities announced Friday.

Armed with a high-powered rifle and a .45 Glock handgun, Zachery Shropshire stepped out of his apartment on March 10, 2022, and began shooting at the crew, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO).

“This was a senseless attack on innocent people who were simply trying to do their jobs,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in the announcement.

Construction worker killed in 2022, shooter sentenced to prison

Shropshire shot worker Alvaro Quezada in the leg, preventing him from escaping, then fired multiple rounds that killed him, prosecutors said.

Seven others — a mix of workers and residents — survived the construction crew shooting. One was wounded while trying to help Quezada, MCAO said.

Shropshire fired about 24 rounds during the rampage, injuring another victim with shrapnel, before fleeing in his car. He crashed into a parked vehicle a mile away and ran off, but police found him hiding in a nearby alley.

A jury found Shropshire guilty of one count of second-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated assault, two counts of disorderly conduct and one count of leaving the scene of an accident, involving damage to an unattended vehicle, in October, MCAO said.

“Nothing can erase the trauma these victims endured, or the loss felt by Alvaro’s family, but we can ensure the defendant is held accountable for the fear and heartache he caused,” Mitchell said.

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