The Arkansas man who fired at a car filled with teenaged pranksters — killing one of them — claims he only meant to scare them off, according to a court affidavit.
Willie Noble, 48, was arrested and accused of fatally shooting 15-year-old girl Adrian Broadway early Saturday after she and six others covered his car with toilet paper, eggs, mayonnaise and leaves, Little Rock police said.
Noble said he had earlier noticed his car had been vandalized at his home and told his wife, “Whoever it is, they will be back,” according to the affidavit obtained by NBC News.
The prankster teens came back just before 1 a.m.
“Mr. Noble stated that he opened his front door and started shooting,” the report said. “Mr. Noble stated he was not trying to shoot anyone, he was just trying to scare them.”
One bullet hit a door of the teens’ 2007 Hyundai Sonata, while another went through the back, police said. Broadway was struck in the head.
The teens drove to a gas station, and Broadway later died at the hospital.
Police said the prank was in retaliation for a stunt that Noble’s son — a classmate at McClellan High School in Little Rock — had pulled on the teens last Halloween.
The teens said that they never expected the prank to escalate into violence, according to local reports. Family, friends and other members of the community held a vigil for Broadway on Sunday night.
“She was larger than life. She will be greatly missed,” McClellan High School's principal, Henry Anderson, told NBC affiliate KARK.
Noble, who faces a slate of charges, including first-degree murder, remained in Pulaski County Jail on Tuesday in lieu of a $1 million bond.
A bond hearing is set for Thursday, when a judge could decide to lower the amount.
