On the afternoon of October 24, 2022, 20-year-old Elena Hernandez was fatally shot while riding as the front-seat passenger in a vehicle near Superstition Springs Mall in Mesa, Arizona. First reports to 911 suggested the shot came from outside the car, but responding officers determined the bullet was fired from inside the vehicle. The projectile passed through the back of the front passenger seat and struck Hernandez. She was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced deceased.

Police say a 16-year-old male in the backseat had been handling a handgun and accidentally pulled the trigger while reportedly playing with it. The teenager allegedly attempted to hide the firearm in nearby bushes after the shooting and was arrested at Durango Juvenile Detention Center on charges including manslaughter, minor in possession of a firearm, tampering with physical evidence, and unlawful discharge of a firearm. Hernandez’s parents say she had moved to Mesa from Colorado to be closer to her father and described her as bright, beautiful, and strong.

If anyone witnessed the incident near Superstition Springs Mall or has information about what happened in that car, please come forward.