Fayetteville

police detectives are still probing a home invasion that occurred Wednesday

night at a residence on White Oak Way.

A group of

three or four black males broke into the home by shattering a sliding

glass door, said Fayetteville Police Lt. Tom Kirkbride. The family was

held at gunpoint while the men ransacked their house, according to police.

The suspects

broke into the house on White Oak Trail by shattering a sliding glass

door, Kirkbride said. Once inside, they claimed they were federal agents

and called the family by their last name, he added.

At least one

of the suspects had a handgun though none of them had any paraphernalia

indicating they were law enforcement officers, Kirkbride said.

The suspects

were described as black males in their 20s or 30s, Kirkbride said. One

was heavy set and had a beard, he added.

After forcing

the mother and a 16-year-old daughter upstairs to a bedroom where the

father was, the suspects tied up the father with an electrical cord from

a lamp, Kirkbride said. At one point, the father was struck in the head,

Kirkbride added.

The suspects

then ransacked the residence and some time later the father freed himself

and began to run away, he said.

The suspects

chased the father as he fled towards a neighbor's house and at one point

shots went off, Kirkbride said. It is not clear if one of the suspects

shot at the man or whether the shot occurred when the handgun was dropped,

Kirkbride added.

A witness who

heard the gunshots saw the suspects run to a parked car nearby which was

used to leave the scene, Kirkbride said. The car was described as an older

model white Chevy Caprice possibly with gold rims and aftermarket tires

which were thicker and fatter than normal tires, Kirkbride said.

The witness

was unable to get the tag number of the vehicle, however, Kirkbride added.

The gun was

later recovered as officers searched the area, Kirkbride said. Found near

the weapon were several personal items the suspects had taken from the

house.

The suspects

got away with a small amount of currency, several jewelry items and several

personal items, Kirkbride said.

The family's

9-year-old daughter slept through the whole incident and was found asleep

Kirkbride said.

The father

was not immediately taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries,

Kirkbride said.

Although the

suspects knew the family's last name, the victims told police they do

not know the suspects, Kirkbride added.