Arizona father killed in road rage shooting

TEMPE, Ariz. (CNN, KYMA/KECY) - An investigation is underway after a father was killed in a road-rage shooting in Tempe, Arizona earlier last week.

According to court documents, the man's two young sons were inside the car at the time of the shooting, and the boys' mother says they are now grieving the loss of their dad.

"He just loved everybody, especially his kids," said Vanessa, the victim's sons' mother.

Steven Bevan was a family man who put his children first.

The mother of his sons, who wishes to only be identified by her first name, says the boys loved to go everywhere with their dad.

"He showed my kids like there's nothing you can't do and there's always a way to be a better person," Vanessa shared.

Bevan was driving to pick up a new car part with his eight- and nine-year-old sons last Tuesday when Tempe police say he became engaged in a road rage incident with another driver in a black pick-up truck.

The road rage incident ended with Bevan getting out of his car and approaching the other driver, identified as Dustin Jackson.

Jackson allegedly opened his door and shot Bevan in the chest. Bevan's young sons watched it all from the backseat of the car.

When asked what goes through her mind knowing her sons witnessed their father's death from inside the car, Vanessa said, "A lot...a lot goes through my mind. Sadness. Anger. Hurt. It shouldn't have happened, especially with kids in both vehicles."

Not only did Bevan's sons watch their dad be shot, one of them recorded video of it. Video which is now evidence in a murder investigation.

"At first, you could tell it was a video, a friendly video of him trying to record his shoes and then all of that started happening, and then nobody knew he was recording, and he ended up turning around when his dad got out, turned around and just recorded from there on out," Vanessa spoke.

Vanessa said the family deleted the video from her son's phone after sharing it with detectives because she never wants her sons to see it again. But first, she watched it for herself.

"The cops are saying that in the video the boys were saying 'Who shot my dad?' It wasn't, 'Who shot my dad.' It was, 'You shot my dad.' They knew who it was," Vanessa detailed.

Jackson was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and drive-by shooting.

In court, his attorney argued Jackson acted in self-defense, fearing for his life and his six-year-old daughter's life who was in the backseat at the time.

However, police did not find any weapons on Bevan or in his car.

"He didn't deserve what happened to him at all," Vanessa expressed.

Vanessa says the past 48 hours have been unimaginable for her boys.

"It just crushed my heart having to tell them that he didn't make it," Vanessa explained.

She says as they try to understand what happened, she reminds them to be strong, like their dad.

"Just remember whose heart you have and remember whose blood runs through your veins," Vanessa remarked.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family pay for funeral expenses. It has a goal of $10,000, and it raised $10,100. If anyone wants to donate to the GoFundMe, click here.