Stolen AR-15 Rifle Recovered At Deadly Shooting Involving 18-Year-Old And SBI Agent

APEX, N.C. – Apex police officers provided an update after an off-duty SBI agent shot and killed an 18-year-old outside Academy Sports, ABC11 reports. Police identified 18-year-old Dayve Sanchez as the man who died.

The SBI agent was identified as 29-year-old Denzel Ward who has been with the department since 2020.

Investigators said the situation started inside the Academy Sports when an unidentified woman with Sanchez tried to steal ammunition. The two ran out of the store and got into their car. That’s when Ward approached them.

It remains unclear what happened between then and when the officers arrived. It’s unknown whether Ward issued any commands or how the confrontation turned deadly.

When officers arrived the woman and Ward were fighting in the parking lot. Sanchez was lying on the ground shot. The woman remains in the hospital and has not yet been interviewed by detectives.

Apex Police Chief Jason Armstrong said during a press conference Thursday (April 13) that agent Ward was not in the area as part of any investigation; he was simply shopping.

The police chief said a stolen AR-15 rifle was recovered at the scene. The ammunition the woman is accused of trying to steal would have fit in that rifle. The rifle was reported stolen from Siler City.

911 calls from the incident were released to the public Wednesday. The calls are from witnesses at Academy Sports and nearby businesses, who detailed the exchange between Sanchez and Ward.

The 911 Operator asked one of the callers if they saw the suspect.

“He’s literally outside with the guy. He has him on the floor. He’s like choking him,” the caller said.

Another 911 caller described seeing Sanchez on the ground not moving.

“There was a lot of yelling and I’m not sure the person on the ground that was shot just now, he is completely unresponsive. I believe it was two or three shots,” said the caller.

This article was first published on abc11.com