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Shooting of Tammy Meyers focus of ABC's 20/20

Posted at 6:15 AM, Feb 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-06 15:26:46-05

It's a story that gripped the country's attention last year and now it is the subject of an episode of ABC's "20/20."

Tammy Meyers, a mother of four, was shot and killed in her Las Vegas cul-de-sac after giving her 15-year-old daughter a driving lesson. The shooting was initially to believed to be an act of "road rage." However, it was soon revealed that there was much more to the story.

Erich Nowsch, who was 19 at the time, is accused of killing Meyers. Another man, who drove the car that Nowsch was riding in at the time, has also been charged with murder.

The episode of "20/20," which is titled "A Dangerous Intersection," featured interviews with Tammy's daughter, Kristal Meyers, and Nowsch's close friend and the woman who turned him in, Khatelyn Krisztian.

The children of Tammy Meyers shared the pain they have endured in the past year. 

"She was a really, really, really good mother," said Brandon Meyers. 

"I miss her," said Kristal Meyers.  

Kristal was 15 years old when her mom was shot and killed outside of their home near Alta Drive and Cimarron Road. It happened after a late night driving lesson on Feb. 12, 2015.  

The chain of events began with an incident of road rage, according to Meyers' family members. 

Kristal honked the horn at an aggressive driver who had allegedly threatened their lives. The identity of the person or persons involved in that incident is unclear. 

That's when Tammy returned home and got her son out of concern, said family members. 

The two, armed with a weapon, went back out to find the "road rage" driver. 

"It's hard for me to say exactly what was on her mind," said District Attorney Steve Wolfson, "because she's not here to ask."

Soon thereafter, there was an encounter between Meyers and Erich Nowsch on the road.

Nowsch lived in the same neighborhood as Meyers.  

Prosecutors said the 19-year-old first opened fire on the streets and then outside the mother's house. 

"Mr. Nowsch chose to drive down the street," Wolfson said, "and fire off more than 25 rounds from a .45 caliber weapon."

Nowsch's defense attorneys state he was acting in self-defense.  

The confessed shooter's high-profile murder trial is set to begin next month.

The district attorney said a jury that is fair and impartial to both sides will be impaneled.  

"The jury is told they are to base their decision on the evidence and not other outside influences," Wolfson said. 

13 Action News requested a preview of the prosecution's case.  

"We have the testimony of the Meyers children, who were participant witnesses, and we have forensic evidence," Wolfson said. 

Prosecutors believe the shell casings, cars, and testimony will tell the true story of what happened that night. 

Meanwhile, Kristal said she often replays those final moments in her head. 

"I ask myself what if we didn't go," she said. "Or what if I never honked the horn?  It probably would have been different."

The teenager has written a song about her mom.

"You like to put your pain in the song," she said. "You like to express your feelings on how you're feeling when you miss somebody."

Brandon said his mom was always there for him.

"I've got through a little ups and downs," he said. "She was always the one that I would come to."