According to Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims, the shootings, which have taken place in her jurisdiction and in neighboring Madera County, could soon take a deadly turn if the suspect is not apprehended.
"If this keeps going, it's going to be a matter of time before we have a murder investigation," Mims told reporters at a press conference. "That's what we're trying to avoid."
The unidentified woman was shot at in early December while driving in Fresno County, near the rural town of Kerman, Reuters reported. Her injuries were not life-threatening.
In the other nine shootings, which authorities say occurred between November 27 and December 17, cars were simply hit by gunfire. When speaking with law enforcement, the owners of the vehicles stated that they'd heard a loud bang and saw a car drive past in each incident, according to the outlet. Witnesses described the car as a dark pickup truck with oversized tires.
With a motive currently unknown, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office believes the victims were chosen randomly.
"To the suspect: this is a cowardly act and we are working very hard to find you," Mims warned. "We will hold you responsible."
This, of course, is not the first random shooting law enforcement has investigated in the US. In 2015, 11 cars and one teenager were the victim of a series of shootings, dubbed the Phoenix Freeway Shootings, in the Phoenix, Arizona, area, Reuters reported. Though a man was taken into custody for the attacks, a judge ultimately threw out the case following a request from the prosecutors.
