California officials are reviewing an incident that left Savannah Graziano, 15, and her father Anthony Graziano, 45, dead after a lengthy police chase and shootout in Hesperia. The investigation is ongoing and there are currently several different stories being reported.
At first, officials were under the impression that Savannah was abducted by her father after he gunned down her mother, Tracy Martinez. After reviewing video evidence, officials learned that Savannah was in the car while her father gunned down her mother, though they’re not sure why.
Officials reported Savannah didn’t make an attempt to flee the truck. The following day, deputies spotted the truck and it sparked a 45-mile police chase from Highway 58 to Interstate 15. Police were shot at several times during the chase, though they’re not sure who was shooting at them.
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The truck eventually came to a stop, prompting a shootout between Graziano and deputies. Amid the hail of gunfire, Savannah Graziano started running towards the deputies in tactical gear before being shot down. At the time, the deputies had no idea it was Savannah running towards them.
Officials are unsure if it was the deputies, the father, or both that shot Savannah down. They’re also still investigating whether or not Savannah was involved in the shooting – though early evidence suggests she might’ve been. Her father was fatally shot during the gunfight, as well.
Still a Lot to Learn About Savannah Graziano and Her Family
Questions are still being answered and we still have a lot to learn, but we can confirm Anthony Graziano gunned down and killed Tracy Martinez, who identified her killer before passing. The next day, Anthony and his daughter were involved in a gunfight, leaving them both dead.
“This investigation is going to take at least 24 hours before we’re able to provide you with more information as to what happened and exactly what the circumstances are as it relates to the officer-involved situation,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus.
There are several videos that have yet to be released to the public, including two videos (bystander and doorbell) recording the Martinez shooting and a highway video recording the Graziano gunfight. Of course, there’s a lot more evidence and witness testimony to sift through.
According to the AP, “The California Department of Justice is reviewing the teen’s death under a state law requiring the agency to investigate police shootings involving the death of unarmed civilians. Meanwhile, detectives in Fontana still have not determined a motive for the slaying.
With that said, investigators did find AR-15-style rifles, handguns, ammo, and tactical gear in a storage pod owned by Anthony Graziano – though the firearms were legally owned. Officials also learned that guns were normalized in the household, according to Savannah’s brother.
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While officials continue their search for answers, our prayers go out to anyone affected by this tragedy. We can only hope the truth comes out and we learn more about what happened between the killing of Savannah’s mother, followed by the death of her father and herself.
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