Evansville, IN — Three individuals are facing multiple charges, including gang activity and arson, after a shooting incident early Monday morning in Evansville.
Police responded to reports of gunfire around 1:30 a.m. in the 800 block of East Gum Street. Upon arriving at the scene, officers observed a vehicle in the area and initiated a traffic stop. The car, which was close to the location where the shots were fired, was occupied by 24-year-old Kennedy Wilkerson, 23-year-old Eriyon Gibson, and 18-year-old Joseph Emilson. As officers approached, Emilson, seated in the back, fled the vehicle on foot but was eventually apprehended after a brief chase.
While Emilson did not cooperate with police, Wilkerson and Gibson were also taken into custody. Authorities reported that a gun with an empty magazine was found on the backseat floorboard of the car, and further investigation led them to the shooting scene, where they discovered that a house had been struck by several bullets. Fortunately, the residents—a teenager and an adult—were inside at the time but were unharmed.
Investigators also found a Molotov cocktail containing gasoline near the property. The incendiary device, which had been ignited with part of a yellow shirt, had failed to start the fire. In the trunk of the car, police found additional gasoline and a yellow shirt with a missing piece, believed to be the one used to light the device.
Police linked the shell casings found at the scene of the shooting to the empty magazine discovered in the vehicle. The arrest of the trio comes after a thorough investigation into the events.
Emilson, Gibson, and Wilkerson now face charges of arson, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, and criminal gang activity. Gibson is additionally charged with possession of a weapon, while Emilson faces additional charges, including unlawful carrying of a weapon and resisting law enforcement.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not ruled out further arrests or charges.
