James Nicholas Solano-Aguilar, a 33-year-old Hispanic/Latino man, was killed on July 27, 2024, after what investigators described as a road-rage confrontation in Surprise, Arizona. The shooting occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. near 163rd Avenue and Grand Avenue. Multiple people called 911, and when Surprise police officers arrived, they found Solano-Aguilar lying in the roadway with several gunshot wounds to his upper body.
Members of the public had already begun trying to save him, including performing first aid and CPR. He was transported to a nearby hospital but died from his injuries a short time later. Solano-Aguilar was a husband and father and was serving as an active member of the U.S. military at the time of his death.
Investigators determined that Solano-Aguilar had been driving a white Honda CR-V while the other driver, identified as Jaidev Christian Spicely, was driving a gray Honda Accord. Traffic-camera footage cited in court records reportedly showed the two vehicles traveling toward the area of 163rd Avenue and Pat Tillman Boulevard before both vehicles eventually stopped near 163rd and Grand avenues. Authorities described the events as stemming from an apparent road-rage incident, although investigators did not publicly establish exactly what occurred between the drivers before they stopped.
Court documents stated that Solano-Aguilar got out of his vehicle and walked toward the driver's side of Spicely's Accord. His wife and their two children were inside the family's SUV during the confrontation. Investigators said the available footage did not appear to show anything in Solano-Aguilar's hands as he approached the car. Police alleged that Spicely then fired multiple shots from inside his vehicle, striking Solano-Aguilar and causing him to collapse in the roadway. One report, citing police, said he was shot four times.
In the moments after the gunfire, Solano-Aguilar's wife reportedly got out of their vehicle and photographed the license plate of the Accord as it left the intersection. Court records said the Accord departed at high speed and nearly struck other vehicles. One witness told investigators that the driver was honking the horn and laughing while fleeing northbound on Grand Avenue. Those allegations came from witness statements contained in court documents and formed part of the police investigation into what happened immediately after the shooting.
Police identified the suspected shooter as Spicely, who was 18 at the time. Investigators used witness information and area surveillance cameras to identify him after he left the scene. Officers began traveling toward his home to take him into custody, but approximately 40 minutes after the shooting, Spicely called 911 himself. According to court records, he acknowledged having shot someone, provided his address and told authorities they could come get him. He was subsequently taken into custody without incident.
Detectives later obtained a search warrant for Spicely's residence. According to court documents, officers found a loaded 9mm Glock 19 handgun in his bedroom equipped with a high-capacity magazine. Investigators reported that ammunition associated with the weapon matched the types of ammunition represented by spent shell casings recovered from the shooting scene. Police also located the gray Honda Accord in the garage. Court records described dried red stains on the exterior of the driver's-side door. The vehicle was reportedly owned by Spicely's mother, who told investigators that he had possession of it when the shooting occurred.
Spicely was booked into the Maricopa County Intake and Release Jail on allegations of second-degree murder, disorderly conduct involving a weapon, and discharging a firearm within city limits. Contemporary court reporting stated that a secured release bond was set at $250,000. At that stage, the accusations remained criminal charges rather than findings of guilt, and Spicely requested an attorney after his arrest.
The loss was especially devastating because Solano-Aguilar's wife and children were present during the encounter and witnessed its immediate aftermath. Witnesses who came upon the scene described community members trying desperately to help him before emergency crews arrived. Surprise police publicly extended condolences to his family and said the department was coordinating assistance with the branch of the military in which he was serving.
Publicly indexed reporting located for this synopsis documents Spicely's arrest and the second-degree murder and related charges filed after Solano-Aguilar's death. No reliable later source located in the available online reporting confirmed a subsequent trial verdict, guilty plea, acquittal, conviction, or sentencing, so no final criminal disposition can be stated from the sources reviewed.
