The Plano Police Department is investigating its first officer-involved shooting of 2025.
According to police, officers were dispatched to a home on Ridgewood Circle in East Plano at around 9:15 p.m.
Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are
WATCH HERESomeone in the home called 911 to report that a woman had been shot, according to police.
When officers arrived, Plano police said officers were confronted by an armed man outside the residence who immediately opened fire on them. One officer returned fire, killing the man, according to police.
Get top local stories delivered to you every morning with NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP Neighbor Reilly Williams, who lives next door to the home, spoke with NBC 5 about what she witnessed. Like other neighbors, she initially thought she heard firecrackers.
"I look out the window, I see police lights right here at the end of the cul-de-sac and we see the cop right in front of our house and he pulls out his gun, holding it up," said Williams. "I don't remember what he exactly said, but it was along the lines of 'freeze, drop the weapon,' and then he started firing."
Williams' husband ran to check on their children, who were asleep in a bedroom on the side of the shooting scene next door.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Another neighbor, Pablo Arroyo, said he, too, witnessed part of the confrontation.
"Once I opened up my door, I noticed a Plano PD engaging in fire with the suspect, my neighbor, now deceased," said Arroyo.
Detectives cleared the scene approximately 12 hours after the deadly encounter.
The home's front door was riddled with bullet holes and blood spatter. The storm door was also shattered. A bullet pierced the hood of a car across the street from the crime scene.
Police identified the suspect Thursday afternoon as 37-year-old Juan Jose Rivera-Robles, of Plano.
Multiple neighbors tell NBC 5 that Robles is the son of the homeowner who was shot and injured and describe him as 'odd' but otherwise peaceful.
Robles' sister shared a statement that said her brother lived with a mental illness, but that his life was more than his struggles.
"My brother Jose was a light in this world full of laughter, warmth, and an energy that could lift anyone’s spirits. He had a heart that felt deeply, a mind that was curious and kind, and a smile that made you feel like everything was going to be okay. He also lived with a mental illness, and though it never defined who he was, it was a part of his journey. He faced battles that many never saw, and he fought them with more courage than most could imagine. He was not broken he was brave. His life was more than his struggles. It was his jokes , the way he could turn any song into a dance party especially techno, the late night talks, and the countless moments he made better just by being there. He taught us all what it means to be human to live fully, to feel deeply, and to love fiercely. I will miss him every day. But I will also carry him with me in every laugh, in every act of kindness, in every moment I choose to keep living fully, just as he would have wanted. You will always be loved and your light will never go out. I love you Jose now and forever until we meet again."
Neither neighbor remembered hearing a gunshot before police arrived and cannot say for certain whether they remember seeing or hearing the suspect open fire.
Neighbors shared a video with NBC 5 of a visibly injured woman being carried out of the house. Police later confirmed the woman had been shot, but they had not confirmed who shot her. She was rushed to a local hospital by Plano Fire-Rescue. Officials said her injuries are not life-threatening.
No officers were injured during the reported exchange of gunfire, and authorities said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Plano Police Detective Alexandra Cole confirmed that the relationship between Rivera-Robles and the woman remains under investigation.
She also noted there is no known history of previous incidents at the residence.
Multiple officers responded to the scene due to the nature of the call, which initially indicated someone had already been injured.
The officer who opened fire is on standard paid leave, as is protocol. He is not being identified at this time.
The department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit and the Collin County District Attorney's Office are leading the investigation.
Plano's last officer-involved shooting was in October 2024, according to Cole.
Around 9:45 a.m. Thursday, the scene was finally cleared of police and the roads around the home were reopened, over 12 hours after the shooting. Cole said the marathon investigation at the scene was necessary due to the nature of the case.
"Investigators on scene must meticulously collect evidence, document the crime scene, analyze all relevant details to reconstruct the events that led up to that incident," she said. "Our priority is to conduct a very thorough, precise and unbiased investigation, which requires maintaining control of the scene until all critical processes are complete. While we understand that extended closures may inconvenience the public, this practice ensures that justice is served and it strengthens that public safety."
"I was cooking me some steak, I had just gone home from work. And I heard, like firecrackers outside, but it was gun shots," said Arroyo in the morning. "Since I heard that, I kind of got down, because it was obviously a shootout."
Arroyo and other neighbors along Ridgewood Drive said the neighborhood is normally a quiet area, so the shooting came as a shock.
"This is, I think, an isolated incident. This is Plano, you know? It's stuff like this that doesn't really happen that often," he said.
Cole reiterated the dangerous situation police face every day, even in the most unexpected places.
"Any moment, something can change -- whether that be good or bad. We might get a positive interaction while playing basketball with a group of kids at the park. And the next moment, you hear a sound go off in your ear, and you're having to respond to a critical incident such as this," she said. "It changes in a matter of seconds; everybody's life changes in a matter of seconds."
