An Arizona woman on her way to her new job was cold-bloodedly executed by a complete stranger at a bus stop early Tuesday morning.
Michelle Flippin, 52, was shot multiple times in a barrage of bullets and killed at around 7:30 a.m. near a gas station in Mesa.
Police arrested Andrew Rada, 44, after he took off in a Dodge Ram truck; he allegedly told detectives Flippin was armed and threatened bystanders.
However, surveillance footage showed Flippin standing alone at the bus stop, smoking a cigarette and facing away from Rada’s direction.
She was not armed at the time of the shooting.
“The defendant starts shooting towards the victim but first strikes a block wall,” police described observing in the surveillance footage.
“The defendant then moves his position towards the street and continues to fire at the victim. The victim falls to the ground and continues to be struck by rounds.”
Flippin’s children described her as a loving mother and a selfless person who would try to help “even if she didn’t have the means to help.”
“She was on her way to get her new job going when this tragedy happened. She was minding her own business,” they said. “She certainly did not deserve this.”
