Neighbors come face to face with accused killer after deadly shooting in Huntersville neighborhood – WSOC-TV
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — An arrest has been made in a fatal shooting investigation that began Monday afternoon at an apartment complex near a busy section of Huntersville.
Just after 4 p.m., officials said a man was killed in a shooting at the Holy Crest Apartments on Holly Crest Lane, which is just south of Sam Four Road and east of Statesville Road.
Police confirmed Tuesday that Randy Gonzalez Mugaburu, 30, has been taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder.
Police said they arrived within 5 minutes after several people called to report shots fired at the apartment. Witnesses directed them to Michael Robert Feldman, 61, who was shot several times in the building’s stairs.
Officials said the suspect and victim lived in the apartments.
Several witnesses said they confronted the accused killer after the shooting.
“A witness came forward and said they saw a man leave the area,” said Maj. Brian Vaughan, with the Huntersville Police Department.
Officers canvassed the area near Statesville and Sam Four roads after the shooting, saying witnesses also told them the suspect was heading east and was “exhibiting strange behavior and approaching people.” Vaughan said someone reported seeing a thin man wearing blue jeans and a gray jacket around the time of the shooting.
Face to face with an accused murderer
Jordan Tucker said she was on her way to run errands Tuesday when she came face to face with Gonzalez Mugaburu in her garage.
“He ran up to me and was literally right here, right in my face, and he was like, ‘Honey, can you help me get a cab?’ ‘I need to get out of here,’ and I said, ‘No,’” Tucker said.
Tucker then said she ran inside, told her mother and called her neighbor Erin Doyle to tell her: “There’s a scary guy coming up to me in my garage. I am very scared.”
Tucker said a short time later as she was leaving in her car, she saw the man again.
But now she said Gonzalez-Mugaburu was following her neighbor, April Echsteinkamper, who was walking her dog.
“I called the cops again and said, ‘You have to come here now,'” Tucker said.
“I saw this guy running towards me and he was very disheveled and confused,” Eshtenkamper said. “He kept running towards me and as he got closer, he said: ‘I need a taxi.’ Are you going to call me a taxi?’ I was surprised and said: ‘Sure, I’ll call you a taxi.’”
Echstenkamper said she tried to call a taxi but the call dropped and she began to feel strange.
“At that point, I called my husband on the phone and said, ‘You have to drive here.’ “I was trying to say, ‘This is an emergency,’” Eshtenkamper said. “You need to get down now, because I was so nervous.”
Police arrived shortly after confronting Eshtenkamber and arrested Gonzalez-Mugaburu on Greenfarm Road.
The investigation is ongoing
Huntersville police said the shooting happened at 4:11 p.m
A resident gave Channel 9 security video of his front yard from 4:21 p.m., and believes the video shows the suspect.
Police are still investigating the matter, and are asking anyone in the area who may have more videos to come forward.
“If anyone has any Ring doorbell footage or any type of Nest footage — if they can reach out and provide that footage to us,” Vaughan said.
Holly Crest management emailed tenants asking them to remain in their units while police investigated the crime.
Vaughan said residents were not in danger. However, he reminded everyone to be careful.
A beloved neighbor
“It’s more difficult when it’s someone you know,” neighbor Jerry Sigley said. “Even if you don’t know them well.”
Sigley said she will remember Feldman’s compassion for his wife.
“I saw him helping her. She was on a motorcycle,” Sigley said. “So, he was helping her in and out of the car. “He was a very nice man.”
“It was great”
Channel 9’s Almia White spoke with Ursula Smith, Feldman’s former colleague, about the tragic loss.
She said they worked together in the early 2000s at Digital Optics Corporation.
Mike was a technology wizard. A thought leader, an emotional and empathetic leader. “It was very cool but humbling at the same time,” Smith said.
Smith said he spoke to Feldman years ago, but she was still saddened when she heard about his death.
“I couldn’t imagine what happened and why, you know, it didn’t make sense to me,” Smith explained. “You really hurt us. You took a bright light in this community, from his family, from his friends. I hate what you did.”
The software company that Feldman co-founded issued this statement:
“It is with great sadness and loss that T1V, Inc. (“T1V” or the “Company”) today announced the passing of its co-founder and CEO, Mike Feldman.
“Mike, 61, was tragically killed outside his home in Huntersville, North Carolina. The circumstances are still under investigation by police.
“Mike co-founded the software company with Jim Morris in late 2007 to counter the isolating effect and changes in group dynamics that began when iPhones were introduced. He founded T1V to counter this trend, focusing on creating large touch experiences that would help bring groups together.
“This was the foundation for what T1V would become – a visual collaboration company on a mission to help teams collaborate anytime, anywhere.
“Mike built the company from a three-person, home-based operation to the global organization headquartered today in Charlotte, North Carolina. Under Mike’s direction, the company has built a strong intellectual property portfolio around its patented touch technology, with 19 patents issued and several more under review. The company has also expanded its operations abroad, opening an international office in 2018 to meet global demand. Today, T1V’s ThinkHub® visual collaboration software is a leading platform adopted by some of the biggest brands in architecture, design, construction, engineering, technology, life sciences and other markets. T1V stands for “Team with One Vision”.
“Despite his accomplishments in technology and business, Mike was most proud of the people who made T1V a team, and of the company’s customers. Mike was very proud of T1V’s culture and values, which will continue through the company.
“The leadership team at T1V is committed to completing Mike’s vision for the company and the company’s Board of Directors has appointed Adam Lorich as acting CEO in the wake of Mike’s passing.
“Mike is survived by his wife and two daughters.”
Statement from Holy Crest Real Estate Management:
“We send our deepest condolences to the Feldman family and to our residents affected by this tragedy.
“We want to thank local law enforcement, especially the Huntersville Police Department, for their quick response to this matter and quick arrest, prioritizing the safety of our community and residents.
“We will continue to support our residents and staff during this tragic event while cooperating with the ongoing investigation by law enforcement.”
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