NEWS

Sheriff: Couple found dead in Fountain City

Mike Emery
Palladium-Item

FOUNTAIN CITY, IND. — Two people were found dead Friday morning inside a home in the 300 block of North Walnut Street.

The Richmond Police Department SWAT team was called to Fountain City on Friday morning on a report of a possible shooting.

Wayne County Sheriff Jeff Cappa confirmed SWAT officers found Susan Jane Tomlinson, 51, and Shawn Tomlinson, 52, inside the home. Both lived at the residence.

First responders were staged in the neighborhood Friday morning after an emergency call came in at 7:24 a.m. about a possible shooting.

Cappa said someone from out of state called Wayne County 911, saying they had received a call from a relative who said he had killed his wife. The relative was threatening to kill himself.

Neighbors were alerted first to stay inside their homes, said Jesse Berger, who rents a home in the 300 block from his father. He said his father received a phone call from authorities about the situation. Later, Berger said, officers came to his door and evacuated him along with other neighbors in a one-block area to the Fountain City fire station.

Officers with shotguns established a perimeter, and the Wayne County Sheriff's Department Mobile Command Center parked in a nearby lot.

Richmond Police Department Officer Aaron Stevens, a negotiator, began using a bullhorn at about 9:30 a.m., asking Shawn Tomlinson to come to the door so officers could see that he was OK. Cappa said attempts to contact Tomlinson were not successful.

After about 15 minutes, a loud boom was heard as SWAT officers stormed through the front door of the two-story home. They soon came out of the house, and officers began surrounding the home in crime-scene tape. Wayne County Sheriff's Department Detective Rick Thalls, a crime scene investigator, was at the scene to collect evidence.

The investigation continues pending the results of a forensic autopsy.

Berger, who is on the Fountain City Town Council, said he only had ever met Susan Tomlinson.

"She was a really sweet lady," he said. "I only met her a little bit, but she came off right away as a caring and nice person. I never met him, but I heard he was a little different."

North Walnut Street was blocked off north of Mill Street with fire and rescue personnel setting up about two blocks from the area where law enforcement were operating. The SWAT vehicle and other police cars blocked Davis Street west of U.S. 27, and highway traffic was diverted away from the town.

The Randolph County Emergency Management Agency reported U.S. 27 South had been closed to commercial vehicle traffic at U.S. 36. U.S. 27 North also was closed to commercial traffic at the Interstate 70 interchange.

U.S. 27 reopened to all traffic at about 10 a.m.

Northeastern Wayne Schools buildings were put on lockdown, but that was lifted after the situation was resolved.

The Wayne County Sheriff's Department was assisted at the scene by RPD, Indiana State Police, Richmond Fire Department, Fountain City Fire Department and Red Line ambulance.