DEARBORN COUNTY, Ind — A chaotic and fast-moving incident in Dearborn County early Thursday morning left one man dead from multiple gunshot wounds and another in custody after an hours-long manhunt involving helicopters, drones, and K9 units.
The chain of events began at approximately 5:40 a.m., when the Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office received reports of gunfire in the area of US 50 near Campo Verde Drive and Gilday Drive in Dillsboro. Concerned residents called 911 after hearing shots ring out in the quiet community.
Two separate callers also reported seeing a blue vehicle traveling along US 50 near Texas Gas Road, with a passenger inside who appeared to be in distress. One caller described the passenger as “not looking good,” prompting deputies to respond immediately to the area.
A short time later, a sheriff’s deputy spotted the suspect vehicle on Hueseman Road. When the deputy attempted to stop the car, the driver refused to pull over and sped away. The brief pursuit came to an abrupt end shortly after 6:00 a.m., when the vehicle — bearing Kentucky license plates — was found crashed into an embankment on Hueseman Road. The driver had fled the scene on foot.
While searching the surrounding area, authorities made a grim discovery. More than an hour after the initial gunshot reports, a man’s body was found in a wooded area along Texas Gas Road, not far from where the suspect vehicle was first spotted. Investigators confirmed the victim had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. His identity has not yet been released pending notification of family.
The sheriff’s office immediately launched an intensive manhunt for the fleeing driver. Residents in the area were urged to lock their doors and remain inside while law enforcement officers scoured the rural terrain. Multiple agencies assisted in the search, deploying a helicopter for aerial surveillance, drones for ground scanning, and K9 tracking teams to cover the dense woods and creek beds.
After more than five hours, the search came to an end at approximately 11:00 a.m., when deputies located the suspect hiding in a creek. He was taken into custody without incident.
The Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office has not yet identified either the deceased man or the suspect, nor have they disclosed the nature of the relationship between the two. Officials have also not confirmed what charges the suspect will face, saying the investigation is still in its early stages.
Sheriff Shane McHenry praised the coordinated efforts of responding agencies and credited the community for following safety advisories during the tense search. “We had an extremely fluid and dangerous situation this morning,” McHenry said. “Because of quick action by our deputies and assistance from neighboring law enforcement, we were able to locate and apprehend the suspect before anyone else was harmed.”
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting remains ongoing. Detectives are working to piece together the timeline of events leading up to the gunfire and determine a possible motive.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the incident — including security camera footage from the area around US 50, Hueseman Road, and Texas Gas Road — to contact the Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office.
If you’d like, I can also prepare a chronological incident timeline of the morning’s events for quick-reference reporting. That would make this case easier to follow for readers.
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