Richard Applegate, 42, was fatally shot on June 21, 2024, near his home on Skyline Drive in Sansom Park, Texas, at about 6:15 a.m. According to family members, the confrontation began when two young males accused Applegate’s mother of having reported them to police; the family says the men threatened the household, and when Applegate confronted them one of the individuals took a firearm from a backpack and shot him as he tried to protect his family. The assailants fled on foot.

Police had briefly encountered two people matching the suspects’ descriptions earlier that morning after responding to a nearby break-in report, then released them; family members believe those were the same individuals. The Sansom Park Police Department asked residents to check surveillance footage from about 4:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., which helped identify suspects. On June 29, 2024, a juvenile male believed responsible for Applegate’s death was arrested; authorities say there are no outstanding suspects and consider the incident isolated. Applegate’s family and neighbors remember him as hardworking and selfless.

If anyone in the Skyline Drive area has footage or information from the early morning of June 21, please come forward.