Neighbor hears gunshots during apparent homicide

MONTICELLO, Ind. (WLFI) - Residents in a peaceful Monticello neighborhood awoke to the sound of gunshots early Thursday morning.  Monticello police officers have opened a homicide investigation after a man was shot and killed.

"It was about a 3 o'clock and I heard three gunshots go off," said resident Darl Clemons.

Clemons was sleeping in the front room across the street from the crime scene Thursday. While he heard three gunshots, other neighbors tell News 18 they heard two. Either way, he may have seen more than most.

"I looked out the blinds and I saw three guys running from the house across the street," Clemons said.

Monticello Police Chief Randy Soliday said authorities received several reports of shots fired at 3:18 a.m. on the 600 block of West Washington Street. 

When they arrived they found Tye Rentfrow, 29, of Monticello with an apparent gunshot wound to his torso. He was taken by ambulance to IU White Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

Detectives are treating it as a homicide.

"It's an ongoing investigation with our department, the Monticello Police Department, the White County Sheriff's Office, the Indiana State Police and the White County Coroner's Office," Soliday said.

More than eight hours after the gunshots, personnel was still on scene taking photos in the garage area. Later they carried out metal detectors, setting them on the front lawn. A K9 officer sniffed around the neighborhood, perhaps searching for the individuals who Clemons saw hours earlier.

Clemons said to his knowledge an older man who lived in the house had been in the hospital for some time. Ever since, for weeks, he's noticed a lot more people going in and out of the house across the street.

"We're following up on information, it's an ongoing investigation," Soliday added.

No arrests have been made at this time.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Monticello Police Department at (574) 583-2256 or the anonymous WeTip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME.