PORT ARTHUR, Texas — A neighborhood in Port Arthur is struggling to understand what led to a shooting that claimed the life of a retired firefighter.
The deadly shooting took place in the 8000 block of Tom Drive Thursday. The area is not far from Ridgewood Drive and Twin City Highway.
Retired Port Arthur firefighter Charles R. Quisenberry, 61, died after being shot in the street outside his home. Several neighbors described him as a quiet man who mostly kept to himself.
"I built my house, and he built his house about the same time,” Ronald Lovelace, the victim’s neighbor, said.
Those living in the neighborhood said this is the first time anything like this has happened. Lovelace has lived next to Quisenberry for more than 30 years.
"He's been quiet,” Lovelace said. “He was a fireman first, then he retired.”
Lovelace did not realize anything unusual happened Thursday until he saw emergency responders around his house.
"There was the fire truck right there,” Lovelace said. “Then I looked further and it was all the police, you know, everybody standing around, and it came out and they put the tape. So, I figured something happened.”
Port Arthur Police responded to the call about the shooting around 1 p.m.
“Once PD and FD arrived, we observed an older male to be lying in the roadway,” Sgt. Ahmaal Bodden said. “Appears he had been shot one time.”
Quisenberry was taken to the Medical Center of Southeast Texas where he later died.
"We have a person of interest as of right now that we're currently speaking to, but we haven't made a determination as of yet,” Sgt. Bodden said.
The accused gunman is a former Beaumont Police officer. 12News will not identify him unless he is charged.
Police are still working to find out what led to the deadly shooting. So far, officers believe it began as some sort of argument between the two men. Police said the men were not neighbors.
Police also made it clear there was no danger to the public after the shooting.
"We made everybody aware in the neighborhood, what was going on, trying to be as transparent as possible,” Sgt. Bodden said. “And they're free to move about as they would any other day."