An Evansville man, Ronald Jeremy McCallister, 51, has been sentenced to 200 months —over sixteen years— in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon after a violent encounter with his ex-girlfriend, authorities said Wednesday. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young, also includes five years of supervised release following McCallister's prison term.
Details provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana revealed that on August 23, 2023, McCallister shot his ex-girlfriend in the ankle during a heated argument. The Evansville Police Department responded to the shooting and found the victim near a tent in the backyard, suffering from a gunshot wound. The encounter began when McCallister sent his ex-girlfriend suicidal messages, to which she responded hoping to offer support, but the situation quickly deteriorated into an altercation.
The victim informed officers that McCallister put a gun next to her head and then fired one shot near her face before aiming at her foot and shooting. Following the attack, McCallister retreated into the house where police later found him hiding in a bedroom. When apprehended, officers discovered a loaded 9mm handgun that McCallister, who had a history of felony convictions, was prohibited from possessing.
"We have prioritized federal prosecution of armed domestic abusers because of the extreme danger they pose to those in their homes and the public at large," said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers in a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana's press release. He emphasized the importance of the collaborative efforts between the Evansville Police Department, the ATF, and federal prosecutors in securing McCallister's lengthy sentence. The aim is to convey a stern warning to anyone involved in domestic violence and illegally armed: dispose of the guns or face a long prison term.
Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF's Columbus Field Division, redoubled the sentiment, stating, "It unfortunately bears repeating that we all deserve to be safest with our closest partners, but for too many that is not the case." He committed to ATF's ongoing efforts to work with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute domestic abusers with firearms, to safeguard communities from such offenders. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller was acknowledged by Myers for his role in the prosecution of the case, which was investigated by both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Evansville Police Department, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
