84-Year-Old Shot Dead on Couch After Gunman Burst Into Home to 'Kill His Family'

A Texas man was sentenced to life in prison after he kicked down the front door of a home and opened fire, killing a 84-year-old man and later fatally shooting the victim's son after chasing him down the street. The Tarrant County jury convicted the defendant of capital murder and sentenced him to life in prison.

The jury found 37-year-old Reid Rothenberg guilty of killing 84-year-old George Nitsche, and later shooting 54-year-old Matthew Stuart.

The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office said Rothenberg was automatically sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after the capital murder conviction.

“He never saw it coming,” Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Matt Rivers told jurors.

Tad Schmidt, another Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney, told jurors “This is not just a killing. This is a brutal homicide by someone who came to kill that night.”

The shootings occurred on the night of April 10, 2022, at a home on Ivy Hill Drive in Arlington, Texas. Authorities said Nitsche was lying on the couch in the back of the house when Rothenberg kicked in the front door and began firing.

Officers with the Arlington Police Department responded to the home shortly after 12 a.m. on April 11, 2022. When officers arrived, they found three victims.

Nitsche was pronounced dead at the scene. Stuart and his mother were taken to a nearby hospital, where Stuart later died from his injuries. His mother survived the attack.

Police said at the time that all three victims were members of the same family.

About two months after the incident, the Arlington Police Department said an arrest was made in connection with the case.

Reid Rothenberg was taken into custody without incident. He was booked into the Arlington City Jail on one count of capital murder, one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of burglary of a habitation.

Investigators said that after a thorough investigation and review of evidence, detectives were able to connect Rothenberg to the crime and believe he knew at least one of the victims.

However, Rothenberg’s motive remained unclear.