Three suspects now behind bars after police say they shot up the wrong house killing an innocent man. The deadly drive by shooting happened the night of Nov. 27. NBC 5’s Alicia Barrera spoke to police and neighbors in North Richland Hills.
Three suspects are in custody after a man was fatally shot while sleeping inside his North Richland Hills home, police say.
North Richland Hills police said they responded to reports of gunfire at 7312 Stonybrooke Drive on Wednesday at about 11 p.m.
Once on scene, officers found the victim, later identified as 52-year-old Brian Pence, inside the home with gunshot wounds.
"When they were driving, the three suspects had fired off at a house. At the time, a bullet had pierced through a bedroom window and struck the victim, Mr. Pence, who tragically passed away from his injuries," Sarah Chilutti said. Chilutti is the public information officer for the North Richland Hills Police Department.
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Pence was taken to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries. According to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office, Pence's death has been ruled a homicide.
Neighbors said they are shocked and sad over the tragic loss.
"I do know he was very nice. He bought chocolate for my child for a fundraiser," Melissa Smith said. Smith has lived in the neighborhood for about three years with her husband and child. "[He was] super nice, quiet. Probably just like the rest of our neighborhood."
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She, along with other neighbors have preferred to stay indoors following the deadly shooting.
"Very quiet. Somber. No one's outside. It's kind of scary because it happened and then we knew nothing," Smith said.
Investigators said two suspects were identified Saturday morning and taken into custody by North Richland Hills and Fort Worth police. The following Sunday, police located and arrested a third suspect during a traffic stop.
"We worked in partnership with the Fort Worth Police Department, and both of our investigation teams have worked together to to bring these three into custody," Chilutti said.
According to police, the suspects had no connection to Pence.
"The three suspects are not from North Richland Hills. All are from the Fort Worth area," Chilutti said. "They were targeting a different house on the block when they had struck struck Mr. Pence's house."
According to police, the suspects, who are 17, 18 and 19-years-old, were intending to carry out a drive-by shooting from a "juvenile feud," but targeted the wrong address.
"Just to two groups of teenagers, for the most part, kind of arguing back and forth," Chilutti said. "As far as who they were targeting, detectives are looking further into that to, of course, make sure that this doesn't go any further than the tragedy that's already struck."
They said they're confident all people involved are in custody.
Signs in the front yard indicate a veteran Marine and a soldier in the U.S. Army live at the home.
The case is still under investigation. Authorities said the suspects official charges, booking photos and bond information will not be available until after they have appeared before a judge.
