Garland police are looking for the person responsible for a murder that led to a chain-reaction car wreck that caused a fire and apartment evacuation.
Garland police say it happened overnight here at the 4600 block of Saturn Road. First responders arrived for several calls of a car hitting a building at the complex and starting a fire.
As residents evacuated, authorities realized the scene involved more than a structure fire.
“When officers arrived, we learned of two people being shot,” said Matt Pesta with the Garland Police Department.
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Police discovered two men inside the vehicle with gunshot wounds. One of the men, identified as 22-year-old Quincy Lee Branch, died at the hospital. Police say an unidentified 19-year-old is being treated for his wounds.
What started as a car in a structure call is now a murder investigation.
“How did the car get there? Was it intentional?” said Pesta during a press conference. “Was there something that happened that made the car pop the curb and hit the building? We’re not really sure.”
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Police said the Garland Fire Department controlled the fire relatively quickly. Still, the series of traumatic events left residents shaken.
“I heard the noise, a 'bang-bang' and then a very loud noise that sort of popped me up off the sofa,” said Andy Mullins, a nearby resident.
Ring doorbell video shared with NBC 5 captured everything unfolding as residents looked on in shock and called for help.
“I looked out again and saw someone jump out of the front seat and run around the front of the apartment complex, so I said ‘call 911,’” Mullins said. “And as I was talking to them I was looking out the window and started to hear the car rev up and saw smoke everywhere and fire started to build up in the front end.”
Everyone inside the apartment building made it out safely, only to find out a young man had been murdered.
“I didn’t know the circumstances behind it,” Mullins said. “I didn’t know it was much more dire. I just thought the gentlemen stole a car and ran off. I didn’t why it was revving. I didn’t understand that.”
Anyone with information on this the murder of Branch is asked to call Garland Police at 972-485-4840.
