A pastor, his wife and his mother were fatally shot in their home by a teenage relative in North Carolina.
The victims died after the pastor’s 15-year-old nephew opened fire inside the family’s residence.
The victims have been identified as Danny Richards, 57, his wife, Sabrina Richards, 54, and his mother, Clara Richards, 74, according to The Fayetteville Observer, which reported that the shooting was reported on Tuesday evening at the couple’s house on Kentucky Derby Drive in the Trotter’s Ridge neighborhood of Harnett County, North Carolina, north of Anderson Creek.
The Sheriff’s Office said the teenager was the nephew of Danny and Sabrina Richards and had been living in the home, Spectrum News1 reported.
A 10-year-old child in the house, identified as a cousin of the suspect, called 911 to report that several family members had been shot. The child was not injured.
When deputies arrived, Danny and Sabrina Richards were pronounced dead inside the house, according to The Daily Record.
Clara Richards was still alive when law enforcement reached the scene and was transported to Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, where she later died.
Investigators said the 15-year-old left the residence in a vehicle. The car was found abandoned in the woods near Nursery Road and N.C. 87, and the teenage suspect was discovered nearby. He was taken into custody around 11 p.m. that night.
The teenager was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder. After Clara Richards died at the hospital, prosecutors added a third count.
The teen also faces one count of attempted murder and one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury. Because of his age, his name hasn’t been released.
Officials said the suspect is being held at the North Carolina Juvenile Detention Center.
Danny Richards founded Genesis Grace Ministry in Fayetteville and served as its pastor. The church had an outreach program focused on homelessness, according to its social media posts.
Both Danny and Sabrina Richards were U.S. Army veterans. Both had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Neighbors recalled that the couple had taken their nephew into the household.
In addition to his ministry and military career, Danny Richards was active in local service groups, including the Cumberland County Continuum of Care on Homelessness, where he worked alongside other community leaders.
“Their absence will be deeply felt by all who knew and loved them,” the chairperson of the group, Debbie Brown, said in a statement. “In this time of sorrow, I invite you to hold their family, friends and our community in your thoughts and prayers in whatever way is meaningful to you.”
Brown described Richards’ role at Genesis Grace Ministry as one of humility and service. “He didn’t want attention … he wanted to be able to do the work. He wanted to be able to impact his community in all aspects.”
