On a spring evening in Anderson, Indiana, a domestic dispute escalated into a fatal encounter that ended the life of 24-year-old Montez McCloud. On May 9, 2017, McCloud was shot and killed in the 1700 block of Jefferson Street following a disagreement. Police responded to reports of gunshots around 6:30 p.m. and discovered McCloud unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds.
Paramedics who arrived at the scene were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead.
The events leading to the shooting began with an argument between McCloud and his girlfriend of five years, Cheyanne Gosler. Gosler had gone to the home of her best friend, Hailey Carr, who lived with James Henry Stewart, Jr. McCloud later arrived at the residence on a moped. The disagreement continued, and at one point, Carr yelled for Stewart, who had been asleep in a back room, after McCloud allegedly began hitting Gosler. After McCloud and Gosler went outside, the argument continued between the four individuals.
A witness heard Stewart tell McCloud, 'if you're still out here when I come back I got something for you.' Stewart then went inside and emerged with a rifle. As McCloud was getting into Gosler's car, Gosler pushed his moped over. When McCloud got out of the car and struck Gosler, Stewart opened fire, shooting McCloud multiple times, even after he had fallen to the ground.
James Henry Stewart, Jr. was arrested at the scene and was later charged with murder. During his trial, Stewart claimed he acted in self-defense to protect his family. However, a jury convicted him of murder. He was subsequently sentenced to 57 years in the Indiana Department of Correction. An appeal of his conviction was later denied. Montez McCloud, known as 'Tez' to friends and family, was a father to a son and a daughter.
