Lack of witness cooperation hampered investigation into fatal Lawrence shooting

LAWRENCE, Ind. — A man is dead following a shooting at an apartment complex Tuesday evening in Lawrence. Investigators say a lack of cooperation from witnesses has made it difficult to identify the killer in the case and are now asking the public for help.

On Tuesday shortly before 11 p.m., Lawrence police were called to 46^th and Shadeland where they found Lee Boyd Jr. shot in the head. The 24-year-old died Wednesday at a local hospital.

For now, the reason for this violence remains a mystery.

“We don’t know a motive yet. Detectives are working on it,” Lawrence Deputy Police Chief Travis Cline said.

Lawrence police believe a large group of people witnessed the shooting behind the townhouses on Shadeland Terrace, where the victim reportedly lived.

After the shooting, all of these people separated and did not wait to speak to the police.

“Several people fled the scene. It was a big group of people. We sent officers out and didn’t find anyone we thought was involved,” Cline said.

Video cameras from an adjacent pest control company reportedly showed the victim sitting alone on wooden steps before getting into some sort of argument that quickly escalated into gunfire.

“Try to avoid confrontation. There will always be conflict between people, but we need to stop being so quick to resort to gun violence,” Cline said.

Although police have obtained some surveillance of possible witnesses and suspects, they are encouraging anyone who was in the area Tuesday evening to come forward, as detectives cannot solve the crime on their own.

“Just talk.” We need the public's help, so speak up. You can do it anonymously or call us,” Cline said.

As no arrests have been made, anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Lawrence Police Department at 37-545-7575 or submit information anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 317-262- TIPS.