Santa Clara police say a deadly family feud turned into a carefully planned killing last Friday on the 600 block of Enright Avenue, where a man was gunned down in broad daylight and a neighboring home later erupted in flames, revealing a second body.
Investigators now say the suspected gunman was the victim's estranged brother, who allegedly drove from Bloomington, Indiana, and quietly rented the house next door in the days leading up to the attack.
Police Chief Cory Morgan shared new details at yesterday's briefing, saying officers were called to the block at about 12:24 PM and arrived within minutes to find a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Morgan said evidence points to a "targeted homicide, followed by suicide," and that relatives had no idea the suspect was living just feet away, according to CBS Bay Area.
Surveillance Footage Shows Deadly Confrontation
Surveillance video reviewed by local reporters shows two men talking in a driveway before one suddenly pulls a handgun and opens fire, striking the other man several times, ABC7 reported. The shooter then runs toward the neighboring house, which soon catches fire and draws a massive emergency response.
Officials Identify Brothers As Victims
The Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner identified the two men as 52-year-old Mark Heflin of Santa Clara and 49-year-old Matthew Heflin of Bloomington, Indiana. Officials said Mark died from multiple gunshot wounds. The office has not yet released Matthew's cause of death, and police are still asking anyone with information to come forward, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Police Outline Cross-Country Trip And Cache Of Weapons
According to investigators, the suspect drove more than 2,000 miles in a rental vehicle, arrived in the Bay Area around mid-April, and began staying at the short-term rental next door roughly three days before the shooting. Officers later reported finding the suspect's passport, four pistols, ammunition, manufactured fire logs, and about $95,000 in cash inside the burned property, along with spent shell casings at the scene, per CBS Bay Area.
Neighborhood Shaken, But Police Say No Ongoing Threat
Santa Clara Street, sealed off, was how Hoodline first described the scene, as officers locked down the block and kept residents behind the tape. Local TV coverage showed SWAT vehicles and drones deployed as part of the response, KTVU reported.
City officials have stressed there is no ongoing danger to the public while investigators continue to comb through the crime and fire scenes.
Santa Clara police say the investigation remains active and that no arrests have been announced. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Bell at 408-615-4814 or [email protected], according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
