On the night of January 27, 2018, a violent incident occurred at a residence in Lafayette, Indiana, claiming the life of 34-year-old Kenneth Williams, a Black male. The shooting took place shortly before midnight at a home located in the 1600 block of Alabama Street, specifically at 1619 Alabama Street. Law enforcement officers were dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of gunfire in the residential neighborhood near downtown Lafayette.
Upon arriving at the duplex, police
discovered Williams inside the home suffering from a gunshot wound. The situation was chaotic, as there were reportedly multiple other adults and children present in the residence at the time the weapon was discharged. Emergency responders attended to Williams and transported him to IU Health Arnett Hospital for urgent medical care. Despite these efforts, he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at the hospital, and the case was classified as a homicide.
Investigators from the Lafayette Police Department and crime scene technicians remained at the Alabama Street location to collect evidence and interview the witnesses who were inside the home during the shooting. Through witness statements and evidence gathered at the scene, detectives quickly identified a potential suspect. By the following morning, police released information regarding a person of interest they believed was connected to the fatal shooting.
Authorities named 32-year-old William Sutherland as the person of interest in the investigation. Police advised the public that Sutherland was considered armed and dangerous and warned against approaching him. The Lafayette Police Department circulated his description and requested assistance from the community to locate him, urging anyone with information about his whereabouts or the crime to contact them or use an anonymous tip line. No immediate reports of his capture or subsequent legal proceedings were widely publicized in the initial aftermath of the manhunt.
