JOE DUGGAN / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Monday, August 29, 2005 7:00 pm
Gunfire shattered the quiet and safety of an east Lincoln neighborhood early Tuesday, leaving a 20-year-old man dead in the street.
Robert Herndon died outside his home at 220 Carolyn Court.
His girlfriend, who witnessed the shooting, told police two men came to the house shortly before 12:30 a.m. Herndon was killed after an altercation.
Lincoln police had made no arrests as of Tuesday afternoon, said Sgt. Don Scheinost. Investigators continued conducting interviews, collecting evidence and working from sketchy descriptions of the suspects. They were unsure what, if any, relationship Herndon had with the assailants.
“If we knew who committed this crime, we’d have them under arrest,” Chief Tom Casady said. “We would like any information that anyone has.”
Police declined to release the victim’s identity Tuesday. Neighbors and a family friend who answered the phone at his grandmother’s home, however, confirmed Herndon was the victim.
Authorities received a 911 call at 12:26 a.m. Tuesday from a neighbor who heard gunshots and saw a vehicle speeding away.
Officers found the man dead in the street in front of the house. Investigators then spoke to the victim’s girlfriend, who said two unknown men came to the house, had an altercation with her boyfriend and shot him, Casady said.
She told police one of the suspects was between 5-foot-8 and 6 feet, 20 to 23 years old. He wore black Nike shoes and a silky black head rag. She said the other man wore dark clothes and covered his face with clothing.
On Tuesday morning, investigators continued the meticulous task of collecting evidence. Two police vans filled the driveway as one officer searched a Ford Explorer parked in front of the house and another slowly waved a metal detector over the lawn, apparently searching for bullet casings.
Along a street of towering pin oaks, tidy lawns and brick houses, yellow crime scene tape encircled the perimeter of the home. The two-block street is just south of O Street and Westfield Gateway mall.
Many of the residents along Carolyn Court are of retirement age and have lived in the neighborhood for decades. Those who live closest to Herndon’s residence said they woke to police lights flashing and quickly learned violence had hit close to home.
“It’s pretty sad,” said Isabelle Gassman. “He was a nice young man, a friendly young man.”
Herndon moved into the house in recent months after his grandmother, Viva Herndon, bought it at auction. He had frequent visitors, neighbors said, but wasn’t loud or disruptive.
He took community college classes and helped maintain his grandmother’s rental properties, Gassman said.
G. Vaggalis, a neighbor who lives two doors down, said she spoke to Herndon twice. She said he was respectful and polite.
She also met his grandmother, who told her Herndon was her only grandson.
“I feel pretty bad about that,” Vaggalis said.
Joe and Margaret Jarvoe, who have lived in the neighborhood for 21 years, said the last thing they expected was a killing in their neighborhood. They learned a hard lesson Tuesday morning that trouble knows no boundaries.
“Lincoln’s like a river,” Joe Jarvoe said. “There ain’t much going on on top, but you get down a few feet and there’s a lot going on. It’s everywhere. It doesn’t matter where you live, it’s everywhere.”
Reach Joe Duggan at 473-7239 or jduggan@journalstar.com.