The victims were identified as the children’s mother, Ashley Utley, 25, and maternal grandmother, Sherry Quintero-Davenport, 45.
Advertisement
A suspect was arrested after encountering the women late Tuesday afternoon near the entrance of Navajo County Superior Court and opening fire following the hearing, county spokesman Adam Wolfe said. Another woman was injured and was recovering.
Navajo County sheriff’s deputies and local law enforcement responded to the courthouse in Holbrook on Tuesday evening and found the two victims.
“The judge ended up granting visitation to all parties much to the dismay of the suspect”, Molesa said in a phone interview. The 47-year-old Snowflake man was booked on charges of second-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Officers surrounded the building and swept the complex to check for threats.
The scene was reported secure as of 6:13 p.m. local time and Navajo County said that no employees of the court were harmed.
“It will make the news today, and tomorrow there will be another one and nobody will remember what happened in Holbrook, except for those who were there and those who were directly impacted by it”, Carylon said. “But it won’t be forgotten by those who suffered a loss tonight”.
Advertisement
Wolfe said the attack was “personal, and not an attempt at a mass shooting”, the Arizona Republic added.
