6 P.M. UPDATE: Clarksville shooting victim, suspect identified

Homepage

Related Photos

Clarksville Police responded to a shooting at this duplex in the 600 block of Kenwood Ave. early Monday morning. Thirty-two-year-old Lisa McQuirt was shot multiple times and died later at University Hospital. Alleged shooter Ronald Wayne Shewmaker was taken into custody Monday morning and booked into the Clark County Jail. Staff photo by C.E. Branham
Clarksville Police Chief Mark Palmer and Major Darrell Rayborn discuss the murder of Lisa McQuirt and arrest of suspect Ronald Shewmaker Monday morning. Staff photo by C.E. Branham
Lisa McQuirt
Ronald Shewmaker

Discussion

Add a comment on this story

February 18, 2013

6 P.M. UPDATE: Clarksville shooting victim, suspect identified

Lisa McQuirt, 32, shot four times; Ronald W. Shewmaker, 44, in jail

By BRADEN LAMMERS braden.lammers@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Mon Feb 18, 2013, 06:18 PM EST

CLARKSVILLE — A Corydon man has been arrested after he allegedly shot and killed a woman in Clarksville early Monday morning.

According to the Clarksville Police Department, Lisa McQuirt, 32, was shot four times, including once in the neck and once in the chest, at 4:49 a.m. at the corner of Kenwood and Loomis Avenues. She was transported to University Hospital in Louisville were she died from her injuries.

Police were led to Ronald Wayne Shewmaker, 44, who was arrested in his home by Indiana State Police and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department. He has been charged with murder and was booked into Clark County Michael L. Becher Adult Correctional Complex.

Clarksville police said they did not know the details of why the shooting took place and are continuing to investigate the incident.

Clarksville Maj. Darrell Rayborn said Shewmaker came to an apartment at 600 Kenwood Avenue, where McQuirt was staying with her boyfriend. McQuirt — who is the mother of five children ranging in ages from 2 to 14 — did not live at the address.

Rayborn said the children and McQuirt lived at her mother’s home in New Albany. None of McQuirt’s children were at the Clarksville apartment when the shooting took place. A child was in the building at the time of the incident, but was in the basement along with several other individuals, all of whom were uninjured. None of the individuals were witnesses to the shooting.

Police said Shewmaker knocked on the front door, which was answered by McQuirt’s boyfriend. McQuirt then went outside to talk with Shewmaker.

Rayborn said police believe an argument ensued.

“Apparently, she went out to talk to him and that’s all we know,” he said. “She went out and the next thing we know is she was coming in through the side door, where she had been shot.”

It is believed the two had been in a relationship previously, but the nature of it was unclear. A silver Dodge Charger parked outside the apartment was registered in both McQuirt’s and Shewmaker’s names and the air had been let out of the vehicle’s tires, according to police.

Following the shooting, police were able to locate Shewmaker at his Corydon home where he was arrested without incident.

“They are familiar with him,” Rayborn said, referring to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department of Shewmaker.

However, he explained that it was not because of habitual offenses.

“They all just knew him [and] were real friendly with him,” Rayborn said.

A 9-millimeter handgun believed to be used in the shooting was also recovered at Shewmaker’s home. Clarksville Police Chief Mark Palmer said more information will be released by police as it becomes available.

While Clarksville Police said there have been multiple calls for domestic disturbances at the address, there were no previous reports of violence between McQuirt, Shewmaker or her boyfriend, who lived at the residence.

Police believe that Shewmaker may have been a regular at the Louisville strip club Bottoms Up where McQuirt was a dancer.

A second arrest was made at the apartment of McQuirt’s boyfriend on an outstanding warrant. His name was not released by police.