Teens face felony charges after shots fired into Gastonia home with children inside

GASTONIA, N.C. — Two 16-year-old boys are facing felony charges after Gastonia Police say they fired gunshots into a home where several people — including children as young as 6 — were inside.

Sebastian Neives and Cameron Branch are each charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling, according to prosecutors. A third suspect, 19-year-old James Proctor, is also charged in the case and is accused of providing the gun used in the shooting.

The victim, Ronady Sanders, said the situation could have ended much worse.

“Y’all seriously could have killed somebody,” Sanders said.

Sanders showed us the bullet holes in her home on Rankin Avenue, pointing out where a bullet narrowly missed her as she sat in bed next to her husband Sunday night.

“I kind of seen a light and it kind of went straight through there,” she said. “Could have hit me. I could have been gone today.”

Prosecutors said after the shooting, police were able to quickly track the suspects to a house just down the street from Sanders’ home. Inside, officers found Neives, Branch, and Proctor, along with the gun allegedly used in the shooting.

“The defendants were found hiding in their residence in a bathroom,” said Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Hamlin during a court hearing.

Sanders said she does not know any of the suspects and does not understand why her home was targeted.

“I don’t even know these people,” she said. “I don’t even fool with these people around here.”

She also told the court this was not the first time her home had been hit by gunfire. Sanders said back in August, a bullet came through her front window just as her daughter and grandchild were stepping out of the shower.

Now, she says fear has taken over her family’s daily life.

“We scared to stay here,” Sanders said. “But we’re going to try to move.”

Court records show all three suspects are being held on felony charges as the case moves forward. Prosecutors emphasized that the presence of children inside the home played a significant role in the seriousness of the charges.

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