*A senseless act of road rage has taken another life. Bianca Roberson, 18, a recent graduate of Bayard Rustin High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, won’t be attending Jacksonville University in Florida this fall as planned. The Africa American teen was attempting to merge into the same lane as 28-year-old David Desper, who was behind the wheel of a red pickup truck jockeying for the lead position. The angered man didn’t want to give her the right of way and instead took out a gun and shot her in the head.
The incident occurred on Wednesday and the authorities quickly went into overdrive to get accounts from witnesses on the scene. Each described a red pickup truck, driven by a white man, and something that sounded like a gunshot.
Desper, accompanied by his attorney, turned himself in on Sunday morning. But he initially fled the scene after he shot Roberson; whose car ended up veering off the road immediately, hitting a tree and landing in a ditch.
As he fled, according to AP reports, the shooter drove partly along the shoulder of the highway until exiting the road. Authorities tracked his vehicle on surveillance video and sorted through hundreds of tips from the public, calling on the suspect to turn himself in for his own sake and for the sake of the family.
Desper’s truck was located in nearby Glen Mills, and the 40-caliber semi-automatic handgun police believed was used was found in his bedroom, Hogan said.
According to Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan, “We got a crucial piece of evidence from Bianca herself, because the round recovered from her was reviewed by a forensic ballistics expert who told us that that round came from a 40-caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun,” Hogan said, and added, Desper had a permit to carry the gun, which he purchased in November 2015.
RELATED: “Turn yourself in!” Surveillance footage shows Desper and Roberson’s merging vehicles.
Of course the question of race was brought up as Hogan was asked if the fact that Roberson was Black and Desper white, could’ve played a role. “This appears to be a savage, senseless and brutal act from one human being to another human being,” Hogan said.
Desper has been charged with first and third degree murder, possession of an instrument of crime, and reckless endangering in the death of Bianca Roberson in West Goshen Township. As of this writing he remains in custody without bail.
Defense attorney Daniel McGarrigle declined comment as of Sunday.
