GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Police say a suspect is in custody after a deadly house fire in Gaston County that left one person killed and three people hurt Sunday evening.
First responders in Gaston County said the fire happened just after 8 p.m. on Brian Circle near Hickory Grove Road north of McAdenville.
Emergency services confirmed that three people were seriously hurt, including one child. A fourth victim died from the fire.
According to the Gaston County Police Department, the fire was started by 35-year-old Shawn Christenberry.
GCPD says Christenberry is facing charges of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree attempted murder, and first-degree arson.
Christenberry was one of the people hurt during the fire and was taken to a hospital.
He was discharged from the hospital and was placed into cusody. Christenbury was taken to the Gaston County Jail and was given no bond, police said Tuesday afternoon.
Channel 9′s Ken Lemon learned that the victim who died was 60-year-old Randy Smith.
Christenberry’s 6-month-old son and the boy’s mother were the other people hurt in the fire.
Brittany Smith said her father, Randy, was dying of brain cancer but living with her under hospice care.
“He told me he was proud of me and he shook my hand,” Smith said.
Soon after, she said she locked her boyfriend out of their home because he was intoxicated and loud.
A short time later, she saw him pouring gas on the porch and front door.
“I opened the door and he set it on fire,” Smith said.
She said she and her boyfriend have a six-month-old son, Landon, and the flames were spreading into the home.
“I ran and grabbed my baby, and I jumped off the back porch,” she said.
Smith said she took the baby to a neighbor and tried to run back into the house to get her father.
However, the fire was too strong and there was nothing she could do.
“The flames and smoke were so bad. I couldn’t breathe. It was hurting my eyes, my lungs, my mouth,” Smith said.
She said she heard Christenberry inside the burning house.
She believes he realized his mistake and went into the house to save whoever was inside but it was too late.
Firefighters found Christenberry in the home with burns all over his body.
He was at taken to the burn center in Winston-Salem.
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