Joanna Chalup Cortez, a 29-year-old woman from Phoenix, Arizona, faces multiple felony charges after allegedly shooting a 4-year-old boy, Qahsiem Sinclair, in the face on January 6, 2026, outside an apartment complex near 29th Street and Weir Avenue. The child miraculously survived with non-life-threatening injuries after the bullet passed through his cheek and teeth, and he received hospital treatment. No other injuries occurred, and police do not seek additional suspects.
Incident Sequence
The shooting stemmed from a dispute involving Cortez, her ex-boyfriend, his brother (the boy’s uncle), and the child’s mother. Earlier that day, arguments escalated during a group drive to drop off the ex-boyfriend at the Somo Lofts apartments, where the men…..