SUV Chase Leads to Shots Fired at International Bridge

The FBI is leading an investigation into an alleged hit-and-run in El Paso that led to a police chase and may have ended with the vehicle and the driver involved in a deadly shootout in Mexico. The crash happened at an El Paso intersection just before 1 a.m. Sunday morning. Police say officers spotted a sport utility vehicle leaving the scene and chased it toward the Zaragoza International Bridge. FBI officials confirmed gunshots were fired by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents before the SUV crossed into Mexico. “That’s scary, that’s really scary,” Liz Grajeda said. She crosses the border every week to visit family. “That’s really scary, just the thought of it being so close and that I have my family over there.” Grajeda said the shooting by U.S. agents was justified because it’s their job to defend themselves and others, but she said she hopes innocent bystanders do not end up getting hurt. “I think it’s ok because that they’re job, but they also have to look around,” Grajeda said. ” They don’t want to kill anyone who has nothing to do with this. News reports say the SUV may have been involved in a shootout near the Benito Juarez police station in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, a short time later. “That’s just about 5 or 10 minutes away from here,” Grajeda said. The reports say five people were killed or wounded. Video from Juarez showed abandoned bullet-riddled trucks and bullet casings littered across the street. Investigators were also looking into a charred SUV lying in a ditch. Officials have not confirmed if the two incidents are related. “There’s a lot of people here that have nothing to do with what’s going on and it’s not fair that they’re in danger because some other people decided to do the wrong thing.”