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Authorities are working to determine what prompted a man to kill a 39-year-old father in front of his two sons Saturday night.

There is no indication that the victim — Henry Sherlock — had ever met the suspected shooter — 18-year-old Fabian Hernandez — before the incident occurred at a trailer park in the 6000 block of South Palo Verde, according to Pima County Sheriff’s Lt. Michael O’Connor.

Sherlock was picking up his two sons ages 11 and 17 from a home they had been visiting, O’Connor said.

As Sherlock was driving out of the trailer park with his sons, a man approached the vehicle and made a racial slur to the victim about African Americans, which made no sense since the victim was of another race, O’Connor said.

“Almost immediately following that comment, he shot the victim,” O’Connor said.

The two boys got out of the vehicle and ran to a nearby trailer, according to the the Sheriff’s Department.

He then approached a second vehicle and removed a female occupant at gun point before taking her purse, according to a court document.

At some point while deputies were cordoning off the area, the shooter came into contact with a deputy and they exchanged shots but no one was struck.

Hernandez would eventually run into a trailer where he was staying with friends, the Sheriff’s Department said.

He was taken into custody there on suspicion of first-degree murder, kidnapping and armed robbery and is being held at the Pima County jail in lieu of $1 million bond.

O’Connor said there is no explanation for the suspect’s erratic behavior and no indication that he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“He just appeared to be a very angry and belligerent person,” O’Connor said.

Hernandez declined an interview request from the Arizona Daily Star.

Juvenile court records show that in 2005 Hernandez was arrested on a criminal damage charge in connection with damaging a screen and shelf belonging to his guardian.

The charge was dismissed after he successfully completed a diversion program, records show.

There are no other incidents on file for him locally as a juvenile or adult.