Resident Shot, Another Beaten During Tulsa Home Invasion Robbery

Tulsa Police are looking for four men involved in a violent east Tulsa home invasion early Tuesday.
 
Officers said four men entered a back yard just before 2:15 a.m. in the 1900 block of South 117th East Avenue, killed the family dog and then broke the sliding glass door to get inside the home.

Detectives believe the robbers targeted the family of five because they thought they had money, saying the men demanded cash from them. When the victims didn't hand over enough money, one of the men shot a victim in the mouth with a rifle while another pistol whipped a second victim.

"They didn't have a whole lot of cash, and that's the unfortunate thing is that a guy got shot in the face and really for nothing to be honest with you. There's just zero reason for this whatsoever," said Sergeant Brandon Watkins, TPD.

The robbers then tied up the others before leaving out a back door. Police believe they ran through a creek and an industrial area behind the home, where they likely had a car parked.

"These guys aren't going to go just kicking down doors at random and breaking into places, I mean at the same time these are dangerous people. When you make the decision to kill the family pet and shoot a guy in the face over a little bit of money you are a dangerous individual that needs to go away," Watkins said. 

He believes the family was targeted.

“These robbers at least knew the family enough to know to come prepared and know there was probably something in there that they wanted," he said.

Officers searched the neighborhood but could not find the men.

Police said the victims gave officers only a vague description of the robbers. Police said the victims' wounds were not life-threatening.