EVANSVILLE — Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson on Wednesday personally called on two teenage suspects wanted in connection with a deadly shooting to surrender as law enforcement agencies continued to chase down what Robinson said were promising leads.
Robinson’s comments followed the issuance of arrest warrants charging Deshawndre Brown, 19, and Pierce Butler, 18, with murder and robbery. The pair remained at large, Robinson said, more than 18 hours after a man was fatally shot in the parking lot of the AMC Theatres on Evansville’s West Side.
“Don’t drag your family members into this; don’t drag any more of your friends into this,” Robinson said. “Go ahead and turn yourselves in and we will address the issue through the proper channels.”
In sworn affidavits filed in Vanderburgh County Circuit Court, detectives wrote that Brown, Butler and a third teenager — 19-year-old Kardae Langley — arranged to meet the victim under the pretense of buying marijuana vape cartridges before an attempted robbery ended in gunfire. Authorities have not released the victim’s name.
The fast-moving investigation led to Langley’s arrest within hours of the shooting. During a police interview, Langley allegedly described how the shooting unfolded and named Brown and Butler as co-conspirators.
Sheriff calls on at-large suspects to surrender
Speaking to reporters at sheriff’s office headquarters Wednesday afternoon, Robinson looked squarely into a line of television cameras as he addressed Brown and Butler directly.
“If you’ve not turned yourself in by the time this broadcasts, go ahead and do it now,” Robinson said.
The sheriff advised the public not to approach Brown or Butler if spotted. Anyone who sees either man should call 911 immediately, he said.
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office was coordinating the search for Brown and Butler with the Evansville Police Department, the Indiana State Police and the U.S. Marshals Service. Detectives were casting a wide net, according to Robinson, though they had not uncovered evidence placing the suspects outside the Evansville area.
“We pray these folks just turn themselves in, either by calling 911 or driving right here to the jail and walking in the front door,” Robinson said. “That’s the way we prefer to do it, but if not, we’re going to locate these individuals and we’re going to take them into custody.”
Robinson addresses recent gun violence
The shooting marked the third homicide in Evansville in less than a month. Those stand among more than a half-dozen shootings — a sobering trend for a city that, like many others, had breathed a sigh of relief as rates of gun violence fell from post-pandemic peaks.
Recent incidents include a March 22 shooting in the 900 block of East Powell Street that left one person injured; a March 24 domestic dispute in which a 16-year-old allegedly shot and killed 23-year-old Trey Leavell; a March 26 road-rage incident that devolved into a shootout, leading to the arrest of a 62-year-old man; and two shootings on March 30, one of which caused the death of 25-year-old Keshawn Almond.
And on April 8, gunfire rang out on Evansville’s South Side, but this time it was the police firing on a stolen truck moments after a man nearly ran over a federal officer during a chaotic chase through a residential neighborhood.
“The summer is not off to a great start when it comes to the amount of gun-related violence we’ve seen, particularly among our youth,” Robinson told reporters Wednesday, adding that there were currently 12 teenagers lodged at the Vanderburgh County jail on charges ranging from robbery to murder. “Something’s going on and needs to change. … We are committed to addressing these issues of violent crime, both through our participation in the Violent Crimes Task Force with EPD and in getting these folks off the street.”
Robinson said he and Evansville Police Chief Phil Smith plan to issue a joint public statement discussing crime prevention initiatives in the coming days.
With regard to Brown and Butler, the sheriff maintained they did not pose a threat to the broader community. He characterized the shooting outside AMC as rooted in a drug transaction between parties who knew one another.
“Sometimes there’s the issue of perception of crime and actual crime, and they’re both valid, because how scared you are of crime has an impact on your willingness to go out and be in public,” Robinson said. “I’m a big proponent of looking at the stats. What do the stats show? Overall, the stats show that crime is down and that violent crime is down, both locally and overall. But that’s poor solace when you hear about these shootings that are happening in the lead up to summer.”
Houston may be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Sheriff to suspects in Evansville fatal shooting: ‘Turn yourselves in’
Reporting by Houston Harwood, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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