Arizona man receives life sentence for deadly 2015 shooting spree

By David Schwartz

PHOENIX (Reuters) – An ex-convict suspected of having ties to white supremacists was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Friday for killing one man and wounding five other people in a 2015 Phoenix-area shooting spree.

Ryan Elliott Giroux, 42, pleaded guilty in April to first-degree murder and 22 other charges including attempted murder and aggravated assault stemming from the hours-long rampage in Mesa, Arizona.

The violence began at a local hotel and ended hours later at an area condominium where he was arrested by SWAT team members.

Giroux was sentenced by Judge Margaret Mahoney during an afternoon hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, said court spokesman Vincent Funari.

“The defendant is an extremely dangerous individual whose random, violent actions have proven he cannot be part of society,” said County Attorney Bill Montgomery, in a prepared statement. “Today’s sentence ensures that he will not return to our community.”

Giroux’s attorney could not be reached for comment. She had told Reuters that he pleaded guilty to take responsibility for his actions.

Police said Giroux killed David James Williams, 29, and wounded two women at a Mesa hotel before fleeing on foot. He then wounded a student at a bistro and car-jacked a vehicle before shooting two males at two apartment complexes.

He was taken into custody four hours later while attempting to hide from police.

Giroux, a transient suspected of having hate group ties, had an extensive criminal background, with nine previous convictions. He had been released from prison most recently in October 2013 for aggravated assault.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by David Gregorio)