SPRINGDALE, Ohio — Ashley Copeland, 35, was in court Friday morning after Springdale police said she committed two completely random and unprovoked shootings.
Ashley Perez said her boyfriend Alex Mendez was driving the couple and their two-month-old to Walmart Wednesday morning when another car pulled up next to them at a light on Chesterdale Road. A woman inside the car shot through Mendez's passenger window, hitting him in the left arm before driving away.
"We were headed to Walmart, didn't know this was going to happen, just was going grocery shopping," Perez said. "He stopped. A woman came next to us at random. She had her gun already on. She just shot him — while he was trying to escape she still got him."
According to police, the shooting was completely random.
"There was no interaction with the suspect and the victim prior to the shooting," said Keenan Riordan, community service officer. "There was no road rage, no nothing. They didn't know each other."
Police were able to obtain surveillance footage from a nearby business, searching for the car in question. Copeland was arrested Thursday after Officer Sarah Luken spotted her car. Police said she had a gun in her lap during the arrest.
At the police station, officials said Copeland admitted to the shooting. She also admitted to firing a shot at another car two days earlier. Police said no one was injured in the other shooting.
"Again, they had no prior ties, no interaction, it was just completely random, which again, is just incredibly disturbing and scary," Riordan said.
Perez and Mendez said they are just grateful their family is alive.
"I thought, 'We're going to die today,'" Perez said. "She didn't shoot me. She was there for a while, but she saw me and didn't shoot me."
Springdale Police Chief Thomas Wells said it could’ve happened to anyone.
“This is a relatively violent crime-free area. And this is certainly not something indicative of this part of town,” Wells said. “Unfortunately, these kinds of things happen all over the country for granted, this is what makes it so scary. So that's the concern."
Now, the family is looking forward to moving past the random act of violence.
"I never thought this could happen," said Perez. "I never saw this in real life, only in movies. Didn't think it was going to happen to us."
Copeland will remain in jail on a $220,000 bond.
The mother of eight will have another court appearance July 25.
Watch Live:
