A simmering road rage incident in central Phoenix on a Saturday afternoon escalated into a fatal shooting that claimed the life of 54-year-old Stephen Guardino. The male victim was shot just after 2:00 p.m. at the intersection of 7th and Missouri avenues. Witnesses reported seeing two SUVs, one driven by Guardino and the other by an unidentified woman, driving erratically and competing for position on the road leading up to the deadly confrontation.
The altercation reached its peak when
both vehicles were stopped at a traffic light. Guardino reportedly exited his vehicle and approached the woman’s SUV. One witness stated that Guardino spit on the woman, who then fired a single shot from inside her car, striking him. After the shooting, the woman remained at the scene and cooperated with Phoenix police officers who responded to the incident.
First responders found Guardino with a serious gunshot wound and transported him to a local hospital in extremely critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries and died. The Phoenix Police Department's detectives are actively investigating the shooting, collecting evidence and searching for surveillance footage from nearby businesses to understand the full sequence of events. The woman who fired the shot was interviewed by police and subsequently released pending further investigation. As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with Stephen Guardino's death.
