A man shot and wounded his two nephews before fatally turning the gun on himself at a home in Hollywood Thursday, family members said. The family members who spoke with NBC6 Friday identified the gunman as 53-year-old Anthony “Tony” Wierzba.
A man shot and wounded his two nephews before fatally turning the gun on himself at a home in Hollywood Thursday, family members said.
The family members who spoke with NBC6 Friday identified the gunman as 53-year-old Anthony "Tony" Wierzba.
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"We’re angry. We’re sad. We’re confused," sister Tara Wierzba said. "We really don’t know how to feel. We’re just going through the motions. He was my older brother Tony."
Officers had responded to the home near the 5800 block of McKinley Street shortly before 4:30 p.m. Thursday after receiving a call of a shooting, Hollywood Police officials said.
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Police said three people were found suffering from gunshot wounds, and one was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives learned the shooting was domestic-related and that the gunman had shot two victims before fatally shooting himself, police said Friday.
Officials haven't released the identities of anyone involved but family said Wierzba is the man who died after shooting his two nephews, who were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital.
“He had a couple of surgeries over a year ago. Was on unemployment and couldn’t work. Fell on hard times but never in a million years did we think that he would do what he did," Tara Wierzba said.
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Neighbors said one of the nephews, 15-year-old Alex Wierzba, was in the intensive care unit with a severe brain injury.
“He’s fighting for his life right now. Critical condition. They’re testing if there is going to be brain activity. So far it’s not looking good," Tara Wierzba said.
The other nephew, 21-year-old Richard Wierzba, was being treated for a gunshot wound to his face, the neighbor said.
Video obtained by NBC6 showed one of the nephews appearing to be bleeding from his head as he's escorted by police at the scene.
The video also showed the other nephew being taken away on a gurney.
Wierzba's family said he seemed fine when they spoke with him earlier Thursday, and said they don't know what went wrong.
Neighbors said Wierzba lived with his mother and nephews in the house.
"He snapped I guess, I don’t know. It’s sad. I never thought he would’ve done it," said one neighbor, Jorge.
“I don’t know. I think he just lost it," neighbor Ruben Olivares said. "I can’t believe it. It’s unbelievable."
Alex Wierzba is a 9th grader at AEF Schools in Fort Lauderdale, where Richard had also previously gone to school.
"It is with a broken heart that we inform you that Alex Wierzba, a 9th grade student on our upper campus has been placed on life support with no brain activity. Alex and his older brother Richard were both victims of a senseless act of violence and suffered gunshot wounds last night," Lance Fein, the school's executive director," said in a message to students Friday. "There are no words for this senseless tragedy."
Thursday’s shooting was another tragedy for the family. Tara Wierzba said exactly 14 years ago on May 17, her younger brother Richard was murdered. Richard was Alex and Richie's father.
“My mother took care of my older brother for the last 20 years and he left her with that,” Tara Wierzba said. “We don't have answers, if we did we would like to ask him why ourselves.”
Fein said grief counselors would be on campus Friday for students and staff. They've also created a GoFundMe for the family.
Police have confirmed that there is no suspect believed to be at large in the shooting.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
