Masked gunmen, resident exchange gunfire in Haltom City home invasion

Four people were shot Saturday night in what police called a home invasion involving masked gunmen.

The five suspects broke into an apartment at the Spanish Square Apartments in the 2000 block of Dayton Street and exchanged gunfire with at least one resident, police said.

Three suspects were wounded; one was in critical condition Sunday at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, authorities said. One resident was also wounded.

Officers responded to the shooting call shortly before 8 p.m.

“Officers heard gunfire when they arrived on the scene,” Detective Matt Spillane said Sunday in a telephone interview. “There is only one way in and out of the complex, so officers staged at that location.”

Spillane said there were at least two residents in the apartment when the gunmen rushed inside. Within seconds, gunfire was exchanged, police said.

Detectives believe that the gunmen retreated out of the apartment.

“The gunfire continued out in the parking lot,” Spillane said. “Some suspects fled the complex on foot and others got into vehicles.”

Police stopped vehicles leaving the complex, arresting a few suspects without incident. Other suspects were in custody after a brief foot pursuit, Spillane said.

“Officers went door to door in the complex to check on residents for any injuries, and they did not find any,” Spillane said.

The suspects and a resident with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds were taken to John Peter Smith and Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.

Two suspects are juveniles and the oldest suspect is in his mid-20s, police said.

“We’re still trying to determine if this was just a home invasion or if the suspects targeted these people,” Spillane said.

This story was originally published October 8, 2017 at 7:19 AM with the headline "Masked gunmen, resident exchange gunfire in Haltom City home invasion."