In a heartbreaking turn of events, a 15-year-old California girl, Savannah Graziano, lost her life during a gun battle involving San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies. The incident occurred on September 27, 2022, as Savannah was attempting to surrender after being kidnapped by her father, Anthony Graziano.
The sheriff’s department recently released video and audio recordings of the incident, shedding light on the tragic events that unfolded on a highway in Hesperia, California. The deputies, who were not equipped with body cameras, were captured by footage from a sheriff’s helicopter and witness dashboard cameras.
Prior to the fatal shooting, deputies had been pursuing Anthony Graziano's pickup truck for approximately 70 miles along Highway 15. The pursuit culminated in a standoff on the desert interstate, where Graziano had previously shot and killed his estranged wife, Tracy Martinez, Savannah's mother.
The video footage shows Savannah, clad in tactical gear and a helmet, attempting to comply with a deputy's commands to exit the vehicle. As she ran towards the deputy for safety, she was tragically struck by gunfire from other deputies positioned at a higher elevation.
Despite the deputy's pleas to cease fire, the tragic outcome could not be averted. The sheriff's department confirmed that both Savannah and her father succumbed to their injuries from the deputy rounds.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with the Department of Justice mandated to review any officer-involved shooting resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian. The sheriff's department has not disclosed the identities of the deputies involved in the shooting or released autopsy results for the victims.
The harrowing ordeal began when Graziano, amidst a divorce from Martinez, committed the heinous act of shooting his estranged wife in broad daylight near an elementary school. Savannah, who witnessed her mother's murder from the backseat of the truck, tragically met her own untimely demise in the subsequent events.
The community mourns the loss of Savannah Graziano, a young life cut short in a tragic series of events that have left many questioning the circumstances surrounding the fatal encounter.
