Cracked windshield leads to Sunday shooting incident on I-55 that injured three; Sikeston man faces multiple felony charges

BENTON — A Sikeston man faces multiple felony charges following a traffic incident that resulted in him allegedly shooting at another vehicle and injuring three of its occupants while driving on Interstate 55 on Sunday, April 28, in Scott County.

Ethan Cory Carlyle, 18, is charged through Scott County with six counts of first-degree assault, six counts of unlawful use of a weapon, six counts of armed criminal action and one count of first-degree property damage, according to online court records.

According to a probable-cause statement by Scott County Sheriff’s Office detective Jeremy Gardner, around 11 p.m. Sunday, Scott County deputies responded to southbound Interstate 55 at mile marker 72.4 in reference to multiple gunshots fired into a vehicle and three people with injuries. Once on scene, the deputies identified six victims, Gardner said.

“Victim one” was driving an extended cab pickup truck and had a gunshot wound above the left eye, “victim two” was the front-seat middle passenger and had several cuts on the left shoulder and “victim three” was the front-seat passenger and had a bullet wound in his right foot that entered on the right side of his foot, then exited his right foot and entered his left foot, according to Gardner. The three other victims were in the rear seats of the vehicle and were not injured, he said.

While speaking to the victims, deputies identified Carlyle as the shooter, according to Gardner’s probable-cause statement. While assisting “victim three” with his injuries, “victim three” said Carlyle had pulled up to the passenger side of the vehicle and fired a handgun at the vehicle they were in.

Gardner said that when he arrived, he processed the scene of the shooting and located three 9 mm shell casings and a bullet fragment on the roadway. The victim’s truck was parked half on the shoulder and half on the driving lane, and Gardner located two bullet exit holes on the driver’s-side window. Five bullet entrance holes — three in the front passenger door and two in the front passenger window — were also located, he said.

Gardner said he made contact with “victim two”, who said he was looking at his phone when the shooting happened, and he showed the detective cuts on his left shoulder.

After processing the scene, Gardner responded to an area hospital to speak with the victims. “Victim three” told the detective that Carlyle, who the victim said he was familiar with, had pulled up to the passenger side of the truck after the victims had passed him and rolled down the window of his sport utility vehicle and pointed a black handgun at him. “Victim three” said he put his head down and heard six to seven shots and felt pain in his feet.

The victim who was seated in the rear driver’s-side seat told Gardner “victim three” yelled “Gun!” and he looked at Carlyle’s vehicle and saw a flash. The victim said he then fell into the backseat and heard six to seven shots, the probable-cause statement said.

The occupant of the truck’s middle rear seat said she saw several flashes on the passenger side and heard several loud pops, and she got down in the floor board of the truck.

The occupant of the truck’s rear passenger-side seat said she heard “victim three” say that Carlyle was coming up on the passenger side, and then she saw a flash, got down on the floorboard of the truck and heard several loud pops.

Gardner said he was unable to interview the driver of the truck because he was flown to a Memphis, Tennessee, hospital for his injuries.

After collecting statements from the truck occupants, Gardner said he responded to the Scott County Sheriff’s Office in Benton to speak to Carlyle, who was read his Miranda rights and waived his rights. He agreed to make a statement, according to the detective.

During the interview, Carlyle said that while traveling south on I-55, two trucks passed him on the left, and when they passed, an item was thrown from the window of the truck and struck his windshield, causing a large crack, the statement said. Carlyle told the detective he started to catch up to the truck when he believed the truck was going to run him off the road. Carlyle then said he pulled up next to the truck on the passenger side and fired a black handgun at the vehicle. Carlyle told Gardner he believed the driver of the truck was drunk. After firing his last shot, Carlyle said he passed the truck and saw it pull to the right of the road, the probable-cause statement said.

After driving a couple more miles, Carlyle said he pulled to the shoulder and called his mother and told her he had just shot a truck, the statement said. Carlyle told Gardner he then drove to his mother’s house in Sikeston and was arrested at 11:32 p.m. by Sikeston Department of Public Safety.

During the interview, Carlyle said he couldn’t remember whether he put the firearm in his vehicle or the house. Following the execution of search warrants of the house and vehicle, no firearm was located, Gardner said.

Carlyle was transported to the Scott County jail in Benton and is scheduled for an initial court appearance at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 30, before Judge T. Lynn Brown.