Police identify shooter, victim in Friday night shooting spree on North Kentucky

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- One person was killed Friday night by a man who went on an hour-long shooting rampage through a northside Evansville neighborhood, police say.

Jeffrey Kempf, 56, was shot and killed in his neighbor's yard at some point during the shooting spree, police said.

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"We believe Mr. Kempf came out of his home to see what was going on and was randomly targeted," said Sgt. Jason Cullum, a spokesman for the Evansville Police Department.

The incident began around 9:30 p.m. Neighbors heard shots and called 911. When officers arrived at the 2400 block of North Kentucky Avenue they found Barry Freeman, 51, standing in a driveway holding a rifle, Cullum said.

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As other officers arrived, Freeman opened fire on them, Cullum said.

"He went on a spree, mostly targeting police cars," Cullum said.

The spree lasted about an hour, with Freeman evading officers by moving through the dimly lit neighborhood and shooting at random. He had multiple weapons and fired dozens of rounds, Cullum said.

"Officers established a perimeter to keep Freeman contained," Cullum said. "But because of the lighting conditions, the best way the officers got information about where he was, was the volley of gunfire."

Police have not said what type of weapons he was carrying.

Eventually, an officer saw Freeman emerge from the backyard of a house on nearby Joan Avenue and shot him.

"The officer fired multiple rounds at Mr. Freeman and struck Mr. Freeman and ended the threat," Cullum said.

Freeman is currently under guard at an area hospital. Police will not release information about his condition, or in which hospital he is, at the request of his family, Cullum said.

He faces preliminary charges of murder, attempted murder and criminal recklessness with a firearm, Cullum said.

Freeman and the victim, Kempf, were the only two people hurt in the incident.

Kempf lived with his elderly mother on the same block as the shooter, his family said.

"He was a kindhearted guy who would do anything for anybody," Kempf's sister, Susie Martin, said. Her eyes filled with tears. "That's Jeff."

Saturday afternoon, Kempf's family sat in the front yard of his house, talking about their brother.

Kempf was one of eight siblings. He was a mechanic who lived with his mother to help care for her, Martin said.

He was well-known in the neighborhood, she said.

Neighbors told Kempf's family that after the first round of gunfire, there was a lull in the shooting. Kempf went to his neighbor's yard to make sure everyone was OK. That's where he was shot, they said.

"He went over to help, that's all," Martin said.

Kempf's family said it was a miracle that no one else was hurt, and thanked the police for handling the situation as they did.

Multiple officers from Evansville Police Department, Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office and Indiana State Police responded to the incident, Cullum said.

Evansville Police will release more information about the shooting and may release bodycam footage from the event next week, Cullum said.