News out of Nevada

An 11-year-old child riding in his stepfather's car on his way to school was shot and killed in what authorities called a road-rage incident on a Nevada freeway outside Las Vegas.

Two drivers going westbound on Interstate 215 at about 7:30 a.m. the morning of Nov. 14 began "jockeying for positions" in traffic and trying to pass one another, said Henderson Police Chief Reggie Rader. One vehicle tried to pass the other using the shoulder of the freeway, he said. Both drivers rolled down their windows and had a verbal exchange.

The suspect in a four-door sedan used a handgun to fire one round into the other vehicle, a small hybrid SUV, striking the child in the back seat, who later succumbed to his injuries, Rader said.

The child's stepfather driving the victim then rammed the suspect's car, bringing them both to a stop. The drivers got out and got into a heated exchange, Rader said. A police officer driving by took the suspect into custody.

A 22-year-old suspect was arrested for open murder and discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, according to the Henderson Police Department. Rader said the suspect's name would be shared in a news release at a later time. The department didn't immediately respond to an inquiry from USA TODAY on Nov. 15.

"We lost a life today that we didn't have to lose. An 11-year-old was on his way to school and this senseless act took his life," Rader said at a news conference on Nov. 14.

Rader urged community members to have patience on the roadways and "look out for each other."

"I would rather you be stuck in traffic and late for your destination than have to go to a funeral for a loved one or potentially spend the rest of your life in prison," he said.

Attacks on freeway drivers are on the rise and fueling fear for motorists, a USA TODAY analysis found last year.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 11-year-old on the way to school killed in road-rage shooting

Reporting by Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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