Woman allegedly shoots at home after bad breakup, hitting ex’s 4-year-old nephew in face

PHOENIX (KTVK/KPHO/Gray News) - After a bad breakup with her boyfriend, a woman allegedly used a rifle to shoot at the Phoenix home where her ex was staying, hitting his 4-year-old nephew in the face, according to court documents.

Phoenix Police confirmed that 29-year-old Joanna Chalup Cortez turned herself in Wednesday. She is facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault and discharging a firearm at a residence.

Cortez is accused of shooting 4-year-old Qahsiem Sinclair in the face shortly after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Somo Lofts. The boy was rushed to the hospital and had emergency surgery. Family members say he is expected to be OK, as they call for justice in the case.

“You hurt a 4-year-old kid, an innocent baby. All he did was smile,” said Meishaq Sinclair, Qahsiem’s father. “I’m just so mad. He’s just so friendly.”

Court documents indicate the situation began earlier in the day when Qahsiem’s mother was reportedly with Cortez and another woman, described as an ex-girlfriend of Cortez’s current boyfriend. The suspect and the other woman began arguing, prompting Cortez to call her boyfriend and kick him out of her house.

Cortez and the other women then reportedly picked up her now-ex-boyfriend around 11 a.m. and drove them to the Somo Lofts, where his brother, Sinclair, lives with his girlfriend and Qahsiem. Cortez and the other woman then drove away.

A short time later, documents say Cortez became angry about a livestream on social media involving her ex-boyfriend and Sinclair. Investigators say Cortez drove back to the townhome then began honking and demanding that someone come outside. She reportedly texted threats to Qahsiem’s mother then called her, saying she was outside and going to “shoot up the house.”

Home security video revealed the moments leading up to the shooting. Sinclair said Cortez wanted him to come out of the house, but his brother said he would go instead. Seconds later, the suspect pulled out what appeared to be a rifle and shot toward the home, the family said.

“My son, he thought when my brother was going outside, he thought it was time to go outside and grabbed his scooter. As soon as the first person opened the door, happened to be my son walking out with his scooter, she still did what she did. She saw the kid right there and still decided to do what she did. We need justice for Qahsiem,” Sinclair said.

After the shooting, documents say Cortez drove away and later texted Qahsiem’s mother, “IM GOING TO THE COPS DONT WORRY...” “IM ON THE WAY...” and “BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW HE CAME OUT.”

Cortez was taken into custody and requested an attorney. She was booked into the Maricopa County Jail, where she’s being held on a $500,000 bond. Police said they are not searching for additional suspects.

Sinclair says he’s grateful his son is still alive and that he’s “taking it day by day.”

“It’s tragic. It sucks, but I’m glad my son is still here,” he said.

He says the 4-year-old lost some teeth in the incident and will have to be on a liquid diet until his face heals.