In the winter of 2017, the Fort Wayne community was shaken by the tragic death of Joseph Hurley III, a 56-year-old Black male known to many as 'Dreadlock Joe'. His life was cut short on December 12, 2017, inside a vacant house on Calhoun Street. The landlord of the property made the grim discovery after hearing noises and then a single gunshot emanating from the supposedly empty building.
Upon their arrival, Fort Wayne police found two men deceased inside the residence.
An investigation by the Allen County Coroner's Office later revealed the incident to be a murder-suicide. Joseph Hurley III had died from a gunshot wound to the chest, and his death was ruled the 38th homicide in Allen County for that year. The other man, identified as 57-year-old Roger Edward Shubert, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. Investigators believe Shubert shot Hurley before taking his own life as police gathered outside the house.
Authorities were informed that Shubert had been dealing with mental health issues, and with the perpetrator deceased, the police considered the case closed. Those who knew both men suggested that Hurley may have been trying to prevent Shubert from harming himself when he was killed. In the wake of this tragedy, the community held a 'Heal the Land' service to honor Joseph Hurley III's memory and to collectively mourn the devastating loss. Joseph, who was also known as Joseph Shah, was remembered as an intelligent and kind-hearted man with a passion for music and reading. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, he had served in the United States Army Reserve and later moved to Fort Wayne, where he was embraced by the community and was studying nursing at Med Tech College.
