A 15-year-old boy was arrested for first-degree murder after he allegedly shot and killed his aunt, uncle, and his uncle’s mother in their home in Lillington, North Carolina, on Tuesday, August 12.
The victims were Danny Richards, 57; his wife, Sabrina Richards, 54; and Danny’s mother, Clara Richards, 74. The teen was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and one count of assault with a deadly weapon, according to WRAL.
The family was celebrating Sabrina’s 54th birthday when the shooting happened. At 5:18 p.m., authorities received a call from Danny and Sabrina’s 10-year-old nephew. When officers arrived, they found Danny and Sabrina dead. Clara had been shot in the abdomen and was critically injured. She was taken to Womack Army Medical Center, where she later died.
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The 10-year-old nephew was unharmed. Authorities reported that the teen and the family’s truck were missing. Police searched for the suspect and found the truck near NC Highway 87 and Nursery Road around 8 p.m. A few hours later, they found the teen hiding in the woods and arrested him, according to The Daily Record.
After Clara’s death, the suspect’s charges were expected to be updated to three counts of first-degree murder, according to Maj. Aaron Meredith of the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office.
Danny and Sabrina Richards were both U.S. Army veterans. Danny had retired as a command sergeant major and later worked as a senior pastor at Genesis Grace Ministry in Fayetteville. Sabrina retired as a staff sergeant.
A friend of the couple, Emery Carter, said they had taken in the teen to give him a better life. “He was trying to give him a better place to stay and teach him discipline and wisdom,” Carter told WRAL.
Carter added that Danny and Sabrina were well respected in the Army and Fayetteville communities. “Amazing is a small word to describe them. They loved people, their family, and their community. They even gave clothes and food to the homeless,” he said.
Donald Greaux, a neighbor, described Danny as “a very, very nice guy” and said it was a “sad situation for him and his family.”
Another former Army colleague told ABC11 that Danny and Sabrina were “the definition of selfless service.”
The Harnett County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for more information.
