The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office announced on April 15 that an arrest has been made following a fatal shooting in the movie theater parking lot on Pearl Drive. The incident occurred on April 14 at approximately 6:40 PM, when deputies and Evansville Police responded to reports of gunfire and a vehicle rolling down a wooded embankment.
According to the sheriff’s office, officers arrived to find a black Dodge Durango off the edge of the parking lot. The male driver had suffered apparent gunshot wounds and was declared dead at the scene despite efforts to save him. Investigators recovered two spent shell casings from where the shooting took place.
Video surveillance from the theater showed that three individuals exited a silver Lexus and entered the Durango before one began transferring items between vehicles. The Durango then sped off, with two occupants jumping out as it went down an embankment. The remaining suspects fled in the Lexus.
Using Flock Safety camera technology, investigators tracked down Kardae Langley, who was identified as both driver and sole occupant of the Lexus after it was stopped at another location. Langley told detectives he had accompanied Deshawndre Brown and Pierce Butler to purchase marijuana vape cartridges from the victim but admitted knowing about Brown’s intent to rob him with what appeared to be an AR-15 style pistol. Langley said he continued participating despite this knowledge.
Langley recounted hearing gunshots during an argument inside the Durango over Brown’s intention to rob rather than buy vapes. He said all three then fled in his vehicle, later paying Brown $500 for some stolen vape cartridges before dropping off his companions elsewhere in Evansville.
Sheriff Noah Robinson said, “This is a senseless tragedy that resulted in the loss of a young life, and our hearts go out to his family. What makes this even more sobering is that the choices made that night didn’t just end one young life, they destroyed several. These suspects had futures of their own, and they threw them away in a moment of greed and violence. There are no winners here, only families left to pick up the pieces.” Robinson also thanked law enforcement partners for their swift response as authorities continue working toward further arrests.
The investigation remains ongoing with Deshawndre Brown and Pierce Butler still at large. Authorities encourage anyone with information about this case to contact them through their tip line or by phone.
