Commission hears recent gunfire and burglary statistics; one burglary victim died, two suspects charged on unrelated counts

Commissioner Culver reported public-safety statistics to the Evansville Social Status of Black Males Commission on May 22, saying police data show a recent uptick in calls and a fatal burglary.

Culver said that in the previous 20 days the city logged about 17 car break-ins. He said officers responded to approximately 50 "shots fired" calls in the same period but that only eight of those calls generated case numbers — indicating incidents with identified victims or property damage requiring follow-up.

Culver also described a May 13 burglary in the 3000 block of [street name in transcript] in which three subjects forced entry and one person who confronted the intruders was found shot and pronounced deceased upon officers' arrival. He said officers detained two people at the scene on other charges; those two were jailed on unrelated counts (reported as marijuana possession) and later released. Culver said the two remaining suspects who fled the scene remain unidentified and that no arrests related to the homicide had been announced at the time of his report.

A commissioner asked about a related shooting that caused McGeary School to go into lockdown; Culver said that incident is under investigation and he would not comment further. He urged residents to remain cautious as warmer weather increases outdoor activity.

Culver read portions of the department’s public-information summary prepared by PIO Oscar, describing officer response, the suspect descriptions, the resident interview and the status of the investigation. He said the City continues to investigate and that arrests have not been confirmed in the homicide investigation.