Man accused of killing hostages appears in Gaston County in court

GASTONIA, N.C. (WBTV) - The Gaston County man accused of holding several people hostage before reportedly shooting and killing one of them just faced a judge in a Gaston County courtroom on Nov. 6.

David Pace is charged with several crimes including first-degree murder and kidnapping following the incident.

It happened at a home on Chrisco Lane in March.

[Police: 1 dead, 2 rescued, 1 in custody after domestic incident at Gaston Co. home]

Pace was scheduled for an arraignment today where he was expected to enter a plea of either guilty or not guilty; however, he didn’t enter a plea at all.
Instead, the arraignment will now happen in February.
It was postponed for two reasons: One, Pace was just assigned a new attorney. And he has picked up several new charges while behind bars in Gaston County.
In court, the state said Pace was charged with burglary, breaking and entering, and possession of burglary tools while behind bars.
According to Gaston County Court records, Pace was also charged with felony interference with the jail fire system.

This all started back in March when a neighbor called 911 to report a disturbance at a home on Chrisco Lane in Gastonia.

[Related: Violence a family has been dealing with for years ends in Gaston Co. shooting]
Police responded and found Pace, his girlfriend Erica Welch, and two others inside the home.
They reportedly told police everything was OK, and police left.
A second 911 call from a neighbor came shortly after, and police visited the home a second time.
When officers arrived, they say they heard several gunshots, including the shot that killed Welch.
Two bullets were also fired in the direction of officers who were taking cover.
Gaston County officers made their way inside the home and arrested Pace. He has been in the Gaston County Jail ever since.

Ultimately, the judge decided Pace’s next court date will happen in February.