Person of interest located, cleared in Lafayette homicide
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – The person of interest in a Lafayette homicide case has been located and subsequently cleared in the murder of Wesley Ehrie.
The Lafayette Police Department had been searching for William “Bill” Morrissey for questioning regarding the death of Ehrie.
On Thursday, LPD announced that Morrissey had been found to have no involvement in the death of Ehrie.
Lafayette police said 32-year-old Wesley Ehrie was shot around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. Investigators said this incident is not a random act.
A group of people hanging out on the front porch of an apartment building in the 900 block of North Ninth Street turned into a deadly shooting late Tuesday morning. Police said Ehrie was shot and killed.
Lafayette Police Lt. Brad Hayworth says Ehrie was found outside, unresponsive and taken to Franciscan St. Elizabeth East Hospital where he later died from injuries. However, police believe the shooting happened inside.
“We believe it occurred as they were going up to the apartment or inside the apartment,” Hayworth said.
Police talked to at least five witnesses on the scene who say they saw a group hanging out on the porch before the shooting, leading police to believe this was an isolated incident.
“We have witnesses that tell us the people were hanging out together prior to the incident,” Hayworth explained. So, they obviously know each other. It’s something that occurred because they know each other. It’s not a random act.”
Several schools in the Lafayette School Corporation and Lafayette Catholic Schools, as well as Lafayette Christian School and St. James Lutheran School, were put on lockdown for part of the afternoon because of the shooting.
“I called the school to find out if they were on lockdown, and they said yes,” Pulley said.
Pulley has four children attending schools that were on lockdown. He said he is glad the schools were put on lockdown, but something like this happening so close to the schools worries him.
“Guns. They can get in anyone’s hands,” Pulley expressed.
Police said the confrontation was over a property dispute.
LPD will continue to locate a suspect in Ehrie’s death.
