John Jefferson
Inset: Kenneth King (Allen County Sheriff’s Department). Background: The area of E. Lewis Street where King allegedly killed a 53-year-old man (Google Maps).
A 24-year-old man in Indiana has been arrested for allegedly killing a 53-year-old man, shooting the victim multiple times and then telling police he was acting in self-defense because he was threatened by the other man’s “tone.” Kenneth King was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with one count of murder in the slaying of Kenneth Lemar Richards, authorities announced.
According to a news release from the City of Fort Wayne Police Department, officers at about 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, responded to a call regarding a shooting near 1400 E. Lewis Street. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders said they located an adult male — later identified as Richards — suffering from what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds.
Police rendered first aid to the victim until medics with the Three Rivers Ambulance Authority arrived and took over. Unfortunately, lifesaving procedures were unsuccessful and Richards was pronounced dead on the scene. The Allen County Coroner’s Office determined that the manner of death was homicide.
An adult male — later identified as King — was taken into custody at the home. The relationship between King and Richards was not immediately clear.
Additional details about the events leading up to the shooting were revealed in court documents obtained by Fort Wayne CBS affiliate WANE.
According to the report, King placed the initial call to authorities reporting the shooting, telling the emergency dispatcher that the victim had died after the two of them fought over a gun and saying multiple times, “I called it self-defense.”
In an interview with detectives, King reportedly said that he was in the garage tinkering with the power to the home so he could heat up food when Richards came in angry and threatened him. The two argued over the power and at some point, King said Richards started saying “threatening things,” which made King go upstairs and grab his firearm, Fort Wayne ABC and NBC affiliate WPTA reported.
The argument allegedly continued after King returned to the garage and King claimed that Richards “charged at him,” which is when King said he fired and struck the victim for the first time. King claimed Richards then ended up on top of him, which is when he shot him the second time.
King was able to get away from Richards uninjured but then shot Richards a third time, police reportedly said.
The report said that when asked by detectives, King was unable to convey any specific way Richards threatened him, but claimed he knew he was in danger based on the “tone” in which Richards was speaking to him. Police noted that King initially told 911 that he and Richards fought over the gun, but later told detectives that was not the case, allegedly saying he “had to do what he had to do,” WANE reported.
Following the shooting, King reportedly said that he took his gun with him and went upstairs to shower before calling 911 about 10 or 20 minutes later.
King is currently being held at the Allen County Jail without bond.
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