Police intensify search for man who shot two construction workers

PHOENIX — Police have stepped up their search for the man who shot two construction workers in Phoenix, killing one and seriously injuring another.

The shooting happened on September 1 near 40th Street and Thomas Road. A silent witness is now offering a reward for information leading to an arrest.
 
“Alan deserves justice,” Mariah Avery said. “We deserve justice.”

Justice is what Mariah and her family are demanding after a shooting that seriously injured her cousin and claimed the life of her fiancé Alan Whitworth.

“I’ve never seen anyone work so hard to provide for me, his kids and everyone around him,” Mariah said. “He’s always trying to help others.”

On September 1, Phoenix police said the 48-year-old was working at a construction site near 40th Street and Thomas Road with 19-year-old Jamal Avery. ABC15 was told that morning that there was some sort of fight. Alan and Jamal were both shot, and police said the shooter fled the scene.

“It wasn’t necessary,” Mariah said. “He was working, it was 8 a.m. on a Sunday. Who does that?”

Whitworth was killed on the spot, the shooting occurring just after he started a new electrical business and became engaged.

Jamal remains in the hospital in critical condition, the family told ABC15. The teen was shot multiple times.

“I got a call from his wife, Jamal’s wife, that morning,” Jamal’s mother, Lyzbeth Bandera, said. “She was there when it all happened. She was there to pick him up.”

It was through this traumatic call that Bandera learned of the shooting.

Since then, his family has relied on their faith and religious community. Everyone prays for their son, who has undergone numerous surgeries.

“He’s always smiling, ever since he was a baby,” Bandera said. “He’s always had a temper.”

Their children’s loved ones are hoping they can smile again. Both men are fathers, ABC15 has learned.

More than a week after the shooting, police say no arrests have been made. On Tuesday, Silent Witness posted a flyer with information about the case, offering a $2,000 reward for information.

“Somebody saw it,” Bandera said. “Somebody knows this guy. This guy, I’m sure, doesn’t keep it to himself. Somebody knows.”

Police and family are urging anyone with information to come forward.

“It would mean a lot to be able to look at this person and see them get justice,” Mariah said. “And let them know what they took from me.”