Man accused of trying to kill his nephew
A Merrillville man has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery, among other charges, in connection with the Thursday shooting of his nephew in Gary, according to court documents.
Police arrived at the 6000 block of Hemlock in Gary’s Miller section around 5:27 a.m., Jan. 3, to find a man shot in the head, according to a probable cause affidavit. Authorities were met by two men, and one of them led officers inside and said the man standing next to him — Courteau Dupree Givens, 31 — had shot his own nephew, the affidavit said.
The victim, 20-year-old Rashod Edmond, lay unconscious in a reclining chair in the living room with a gunshot wound to the head, according to the affidavit. Emergency responders arrived and initially took Edmond to Methodist Hospital’s Northlake campus, but he was later airlifted to the University of Illinois at Chicago medical center, the affidavit said.
Givens, who the court documents said was “extremely intoxicated and incoherent” and had to be carried out because he couldn’t stand, was arrested.
A witness at the scene said she was sleeping on the couch when she heard a gunshot, court documents said. She then saw Givens with a gun in his hand across from Edmond and proceeded to wake others who were asleep in the house, according to the affidavit.
The man who led officers into the house said he took the gun from Givens and handed it to his father, who removed the ammunition, the affidavit said. Someone then called 911, and CPR was attempted on Edmond.
Another witness told officers Givens came to the house around 11 p.m. Wednesday to speak with someone who was already asleep, court documents said. That witness said Givens left, but came back around 2 a.m. and hung out with Edmond, with the two having some drinks and stepping out to the gas station for a bit.
Givens later told police in a recorded statement that he stopped by the residence Wednesday but then left to go to a strip club, the affidavit said. He returned to talk to Edmond, and later asked Edmond to take him to a gas station and then visit a friend at Woodlake Apartments, documents said.
Givens said in his statement that he had a gun in his jacket, which he placed on the kitchen table before going to use the bathroom, according to the affidavit. When he returned, he saw others in the living room, but did not hear the gun go off, nor did he shoot Edmond, the affidavit said.
Givens was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, battery by means of a deadly weapon and battery resulting in serious bodily injury, the affidavit said. As of Saturday, he was still being held at the Lake County Jail.
Givens’ next court date was not immediately available.