An Evansville man is accused of firing off shots in an apartment complex parking lot.
Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 300 block of Norma Drive in the Golden Tower apartment complex at about 1:20 a.m. Wednesday after receiving a report of shots fired.
Deputies spoke with a resident who reported hearing four gunshots. The witness stated that, when he looked out his window, he saw a man wearing a black hoodie and pajama pants looking around on the ground near the parking lot before walking off between the apartment buildings.
Deputies located four spent shell casings in the parking lot, as well as two vehicles that had sustained bullet damage.
The witness positively identified a man who deputies located in the immediate area as the same man the witness saw outside his window after hearing gunshots. The suspect was later identified as Michael Lee Dortch, 20, of Evansville.
Dortch initially denied any involvement before admitting to firing the weapon. Dortch stated he had been followed home by an acquaintance with whom he had had an ongoing dispute due to a prior relationship with the acquaintance’s girlfriend.
Dortch told investigators that upon arriving home, he and his girlfriend exited her vehicle and he and the acquaintance began arguing. Dortch stated he went up to his apartment and retrieved a firearm, a 9mm handgun, before returning to the parking lot to confront the person.
He stated he approached the passenger side of a vehicle occupied by the acquaintance, at which point the two began arguing again. Dortch reported that the acquaintance produced a firearm and began shooting at him. Dortch stated he ran behind several parked vehicles and returned fire. He further stated the acquaintance and an unidentified female then fled southbound through the apartment complex.
When questioned about the location of his firearm, Dortch stated he had placed it under a loveseat inside his apartment. After a search warrant was obtained and signed, deputies and detectives searched the apartment, locating a 9mm handgun under the loveseat. The firearm contained rounds in both the magazine and the chamber.
A serial number check through the National Crime Information Center revealed the firearm had been reported stolen to the Evansville Police in 2024.
Dortch was charged with two counts of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, two counts of criminal mischief and possession of a stolen firearm.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office at https://vanderburghsheriff.org/tip-submit/or by calling (812) 421-6297.
