DeSoto police have arrested a man they say targeted his estranged wife and her two sons Wednesday night, opening fire on their car as she parked in the family garage.
Police have arrested 46-year-old Richard Richard on two charges of aggravated assault and one charge of endangering a child.
Officers said police received calls of shots fired at a home in the 500 block of Meadow Hill Drive at about 9 p.m. Wednesday. As officers were responding to that call, another call came from a woman at a nearby Walgreens who was targeted in the shooting, 40-year-old Nicole Rishard.
Emory Howell, Rishard’s mother, told NBC 5's Kendra Lyn that her daughter had filed for divorce in August from Richard, the man accused of shooting at her and her two teenage sons.
Rishard and her sons, 14-year-old Cody and 15-year-old Corey, had been living with Howell at the home on Meadow Hill Drive where the shooting took place. Howell said her daughter feared that the relationship with her estranged husband would turn violent after she told Richard this summer that she wanted to end their four-year marriage.
Howell said Rishard requested a protective order against Richard last week, but that it had yet to be signed by a judge.
Howell said the car had been pulled into the garage and, as the garage door was closing, Richard slid underneath the door and began pounding on the car with the butt of the gun. He then opened fire, grazing Rishard’s arm and critically injuring Corey.
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“He started going around the car, just shooting. He shot out the tires and put the gun right up to her window. She said he was trying to shoot her in the head, but the bullets were passing her head,” said Howell.
The attack continued.
“He dove on the car and was beating the windshield of the car with the butt of his gun to try to get in the car,” Howell said.
The wounded mother could barely see out of the shattered windshield, but managed to drive the car to the nearby Walgreens, where they called police. The mom and critically injured teen were taken to Methodist Central Hospital.
Howell said Corey is currently in the intensive care unit after being shot in the chest, the hip, and the back. The boy's mother only had minor injuries. Cody was uninjured.
Officers responded to the home and found Richard down on his knees with his hands up, surrendering to police without incident. Capt. Ron Smith, with the DeSoto Police Department, believes the suspected shooter knew he just couldn't get away.
"He remained at the scene. He'd gotten down on his knees and extended position in the surrender position and he was waiting for us," Smith said.
“He will face the consequences. He will,” Howell said.
Howell has asked for prayers to help Corey pull through
NBC 5's Kendra Lyn contributed to this report. NOTE: Family members said suspect Richard Richard changed his last name from Rishard to distance himself from family members in Louisana. The victims all used Rishard as the spelling.
