David Liebler, a 67-year-old White man from Sun City, Arizona, was remembered by his neighbors as a kind and friendly man who always had a smile and a wave. Described as "the greatest guy in the world" and the "best neighbor," he was a father who spoke with great pride about his own mother. He enjoyed golfing and, with pandemic restrictions easing, was making plans to get out and play more.
His sudden death left his tight-knit community in shock, grappling with the loss of a man they called a "really cool dude."
On the morning of June 17, 2021, Liebler was driving his pickup truck on the Loop 101 freeway near Thunderbird Road, just over a mile from his home. A witness reported seeing a white SUV pull up alongside Liebler’s truck and hearing a “pop.” Liebler’s vehicle then veered off the highway and came to a stop in an adjacent canal. Authorities later found him deceased inside his truck from a gunshot wound to the neck.
The shooting was not an isolated incident but the fatal conclusion of a terrifying, 90-minute shooting spree that spanned the West Valley. The gunman appeared to fire at random from his vehicle at other cars and pedestrians, creating at least eight separate crime scenes across Glendale, Peoria, and Surprise. By the time the violence ended, four people had been shot, and nine others were injured by shrapnel, broken glass, or in related car crashes.
Initially, first responders were unable to locate a victim at the scene of the freeway shooting. Police found Liebler only after the witness who saw his truck go into the canal contacted them again after seeing news coverage of the widespread attacks. The investigation quickly led to the arrest of 19-year-old Ashin Scott Tricarico. An AR-15 rifle was recovered from the white Volkswagen SUV he was driving. Tricarico, who had been involved in another shooting weeks earlier while working as a security guard, reportedly told police he believed people were following him.
Ashin Tricarico was held on a one-million-dollar bond. A Maricopa County grand jury subsequently indicted him on 31 felony counts, including first-degree murder for the death of David Liebler, as well as multiple counts of aggravated assault, drive-by shooting, and endangerment. As of June 2021, the case remained pending in litigation, with no trial verdict or guilty plea having been publicly reported.
