PHOENIX
The most seriously wounded of three people shot in a community-college computer lab had punched the gunman in the face before he opened fire, police say.
Isaac Deshay Smith, 19, had beaten the suspect, Rodney Smith, in a fistfight in December and the two unrelated men had gotten into verbal confrontations every time they met since, Phoenix Detective Reuben Gonzales said.
On Thursday, police said, Isaac Smith, 19, punched 22-year-old Rodney Smith during a confrontation at South Mountain Community College.
Rodney Smith then pulled a handgun from his waist and opened fire, according to a probable cause statement released Friday. He has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault, the Maricopa County Attorney’s office said Tuesday.
School officials say 20 to 30 people were in the lab, which is open to the public. Both were former students.
