Surprise neighbors in shock after police say man shot his 3-year-old daughter
SURPRISE, AZ (AZFamily) — People who live in the Bell Pointe community in Surprise are still in shock after police say a father shot his 3-year-old daughter Thursday night.
“It was very shocking. When we first heard the noise, we walked down there to see. A lot of neighbors came and they were checking to see what had happened,” said Brittney Flint.
Flint said she has lived in the neighborhood near Bell Road and Loop 303 for several years. She described it as a quiet place to live. However, on Thursday night, she said she was near the scene when she heard a gunshot and a lot of yelling inside the house.
“To watch it unfold was very, very shocking,” she said.
Police said officers were negotiating with 48-year-old Dariusz Modrzejewski, who was holed up inside his house. Officers received reports from neighbors about a man acting erratically.
They said Modrzejewski also called them and threatened to hurt his family. The gunshot neighbors heard was when police say Modrzejewski pulled the trigger on his toddler.
“I have a two and 3-year-old, so I couldn’t imagine just anything happening to them. I can’t imagine how the family, you know, feels and with what they’re going through,” said Flint.
In a cellphone video a neighbor shared with Arizona’s Family, you can hear windows being broken by a SWAT team trying to enter the house through the second floor. Law enforcement also knocked down the front door.
The video shows a moment Flint said she witnessed firsthand: Officers running out of the house with what appeared to be the little girl in their arms.
Another shot of the video showed a man falling from the roof and later being carried away by police.
Now the home’s windows and front door are boarded up, while families are still in shock from such a tragedy playing out in their quiet neighborhood.
“People can portray that they’re totally fine on the outside, but you don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors,” said Flint.
She said Modrzejewski has lived in the neighborhood for several years. Flint said she would wave at him; his home was always decorated for the holidays. She never saw any red flags.
What crushes her the most is that police say the little girl is still in critical condition.
“My husband and my whole family, my kids — our prayers go out to them. And I hope that she pulls through and that everything will be okay, and she’ll live a long and healthy life,” said Flint.
Modrzejewski was arrested and is facing several aggravated assault charges. Investigators are still determining what led up to the shooting.
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