MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Three juveniles have been charged in connection with a deadly home invasion that occurred in Mooresville two months ago.
On March 9, deputies were called to Home Drive near Bailey Road after a neighbor reported hearing gunshots. That neighbor said they saw three men in ski masks go into the home before hearing the violence.
When the deputies got to the house, they said they found two people dead inside and a third person with a gunshot wound on the back porch. All of the victims were found restrained and bound.
The immediate investigation led deputies to a home on Ostwalt Amity Road, where the suspect, Justin Michael Strawser, had barricaded himself and started shooting at deputies with a rifle.
Deputies surrounded the home and learned that four children were inside the house at the time. Eventually, Strawser was shot and killed by deputies.
An additional investigation revealed that Strawser was one of the three men seen entering the house on Home Drive the night of the murders. Deputies executed search warrants on both scenes and collected evidence that helped them piece together what occurred.
That evidence revealed that two of the four juveniles inside the home on Ostwalt Amity Road had accompanied Justin Strawser to Home Drive and were involved in the homicides. Investigators also determined another one of the juveniles had fired shots at deputies during the standoff.
On May 1, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office announced that those three male juveniles, ages 17, 15, and 15, had been charged in connection with this case.
The 17-year-old has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and felony conspiracy to commit murder.
The first 15-year-old has also been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and felony conspiracy to commit murder.
The second 15-year-old has been charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon against law enforcement.
Deputies said two of the juveniles are being held in South Carolina, and the third is being held in a juvenile detention facility here in North Carolina, awaiting upcoming juvenile court proceedings.
“It’s hard to comprehend,” said one of Strawser’s family members who did not want to be identified. “It’s hard to comprehend.”
Strawser was killed in the shootout.
The family member stated that Strawser would have turned 40 years old in June.
“What was he thinking hanging out with those kids?” the man said. “He went from trying to help them to being an accomplice with them.”
Neighbors said it was common knowledge that some teenagers were involved and because they had not been arrested, they were worried.
“When you would hear a noise or your dog would bark you would get up to look and see, ‘Is somebody in my yard tonight,’” the neighbor said. “So, yeah, it’s been uneasy.”
The neighbor, who also did not want to be identified, said he’s thankful the kids were arrested.
Strawser’s family member said he has dealt with mental health issues for years.
“To everyone involved to the law enforcement officers to every single family that was affected by this, my family is deeply sorry,” he said. “We are deeply sorry that all this has happened.”
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