Dad fatally shot by neighbor in front of his kids with ‘no warning,’ Texas family says

A father dropping his sons off at home was shot and killed by their neighbor who thought the 53-year-old man was a “bad person,” the Texas victim’s family says.

The Austin Police Department said 23-year-old Eusebio Noa Olvera is charged with murder following the Jan. 31 fatal shooting of Ruel Saintmark Hill.

According to a GoFundMe, Hill was dropping off his teen sons at home and saying his goodbyes after they spent the evening together.

Then, with “literally no warning,” Olvera began shooting toward Hill and his sons, 18-year-old Oasis Hill told KVUE. One of the three bullets narrowly missed the teen’s younger brother, but one struck their dad.

Officers were dispatched to the residential area for reports of “shots fired and people screaming,” and they found Ruel Hill with a gunshot wound in the street, according to a news release.

He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Oasis Hill said Olvera apologized to the victim’s family right after the shooting, indicating he thought the father was a “bad person” when he shot him, KVUE reported.

Olvera was booked into the Travis County Jail within hours of the shooting, police said.

Loved ones remembered Ruel Hill as a “man of warmth and kindness,” according to the GoFundMe. He was a father to four children, whose ages range from 14 to 20.

“His commitment to his family was evident in the way he spent time with them, guiding them through life’s ups and downs, always with patience and wisdom,” the GoFundMe said. “His presence was a beacon of safety and support, and his passing leaves a void that will never be filled.”

This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 8:50 AM with the headline "Dad fatally shot by neighbor in front of his kids with ‘no warning,’ Texas family says."