Last week served as an unfortunate reminder that Fountain Hills is not immune to tragedy, with two shootings claiming the lives of two individuals; one reportedly self-inflicted and the other following an altercation at a local bar.
There’s some grim timing to these events, as they occurred just one week prior to the Alex Bashaw sentencing, which takes place this Friday, July 19. Bashaw was the driver of a vehicle that, in March 2018, struck and killed two couples that were visiting Fountain Hills.
It’s natural that folks will get curious about these types of situations and want to know the facts as soon as possible. Nobody wants to look out their front window and see police lights flashing and no explanation as to what has occurred across the street. Similarly, if you notice emergency vehicles on the side of the road, you’ll probably want to know what, exactly, took place.
But it’s important to remember that these types of incidents must be investigated thoroughly and, as noted in recent comments from Mayor Ginny Dickey, those investigations take time. If information is not available, it’s for a good reason.
The problem occurs when a lack of information turns to gossip, which is frequently inaccurate, spreads quickly and often leads to additional complications. Rumors ran rampant last year following the Bashaw incident and that was mirrored last week across social media following the shootings.
Whether deputies need to gather more information, are following leads or simply need to notify the next of kin before making information public, there are many reasons why details may be slow in coming. In the meantime, we encourage our readers to wait for the facts and try not to cause more harm with hearsay.
