A Charleston neighborhood was left in shock after an altercation turned violent Friday evening.
Rickey Sprouse is still trying to wrap his mind around what happened in his Kanawha City neighborhood. His friend and neighbor, Ty Hall, 55, was shot dead in his own garage.
"I'm just shocked. You don’t know what to think at first about what’s going on," Sprouse said. "A neighbor, an acquaintance, someone you’ve known for years and they are just gone. You don’t know who it's going to be in this world. It’s rough."
The shooting happened about 7:30 p.m. in the 5100 block of Lancaster Avenue. Charleston police report Kerry Wiley, 64, of Belle showed up at Hall’s home to confront Hall after being fired from a construction job. Officers said Wiley shot Hall once in the head and fled.
Hours later, just around midnight, Wiley was captured in Charleston and charged with first-degree murder. Wiley was arraigned early Saturday morning.
Witnesses told police that Wiley’s wife had shown up at the house earlier in the evening asking for her husband’s job back but was told Wiley had disrespected Hall and he wouldn't be rehired. She left, but Wiley came back with a gun. Witnesses heard the shot from the garage and found Hall in a pool of blood.
Sprouse said he was just getting home from the grocery store when he saw Wiley’s truck speed off from the scene.
"I saw him squealing out of here in his car, in his Isuzu, at a high rate of speed," Sprouse said "I thought, 'Well, that’s unusual.’ Then when I went inside the house, I threw the groceries inside and walked back out onto the porch. I saw police cars coming down the street."
Community members are relieved that the suspect has been arrested, but are left remembering a friend and neighbor.
"He had a big heart." Sprouse said of Hall. "He worked hard. He was just a good guy, just like all the rest of us. Just trying to get by day-to-day."
Wiley is being held without bond at the South Central Regional Jail to await court proceedings.