Inset: Dustin Jackson (Maricopa County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The scene of the shooting on Warner Road in Tempe, Arizona, on July 1, 2025 (KTVK/YouTube).
A man was shot and killed in Arizona in a road-rage attack, and children were present in both the victim’s and suspect’s vehicles.
Dustin Jackson, 46, was arrested and faces charges of first-degree murder in and drive-by shooting, Phoenix-based independent TV station KTVK reported.
Jackson’s attorney has argued that his client’s actions were “reasonable in light of the circumstances.”
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Those “circumstances” occurred at about noon on Tuesday, July 1, when Jackson was driving with his 6-year-old daughter in a GMC Sierra pickup truck.
At the time, 29-year-old Steven Bevan was driving with his 9-year-old and 8-year-old sons in a Dodge Challenger when the two vehicles lined up at a stoplight on Warner Road in Tempe, Arizona, ready to turn left onto Priest Road, according to court documents reviewed by the outlet.
Jackson told investigators he honked when the light turned green and Bevan did not initially move his car — and that after a short distance more of driving, Bevan swerved into his lane and stopped abruptly in front of him. Witnesses are said to have recounted that Bevan exited his Dodge Challenger and yelled at Jackson, approaching his door, according to law enforcement.
Jackson is believed to have opened his truck door and fired a gunshot at Bevan – hitting Bevan in the chest. Authorities said the victim was unarmed and there were no weapons in his car, police say. The suspect is reportedly a former Marine who stands at 6 feet, eight inches tall and weighs 300 pounds.
Police said they also found cocaine in Jackson’s glove compartment, KTVK reported.
None of the children were physically hurt – but one of Bevan’s sons recorded part of the road-rage incident, authorities learned. The boy recorded as his father allegedly approached Jackson’s truck and put his hand on the door.
Jackson later allegedly said that he was “in fear for his and his daughter’s life.”
After the gunshot is heard, the video reportedly goes dark, but yells could be heard of “Call 911” and “Who shot my dad?”
Bevan, who is said to have stood at 5 feet, seven inches tall and weighed approximately 190 pounds, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Jackson is being detained in the local jail on a $1 million bond.
Law&Crime has reached out to the Maricopa County Superior Court for more information on this case.
