A South Bend man is facing murder charges after police say he gunned down 34-year-old Jeffrey Sheppard in a parking lot on the city's south side earlier this month. Terell Howard, 36, was arraigned Tuesday afternoon and ordered held without bond in connection with the November 1 shooting in the 900 block of East Ireland Road.
Howard is facing charges of murder and a felony firearm enhancement, according to WNDU, which also reported that police confirmed he is being held without bond. The station reported police arrested Howard on November 10.
Surveillance Footage at the Center of the Case
According to court documents cited by WSBT, prosecutors say Howard shot and killed Sheppard during the early morning hours of November 1 outside Long John Silver's on East Ireland Road. The outlet reported that surveillance video shows Howard following Sheppard through the nearby Peddler's Pub parking lot before shooting him multiple times at close range.
ABC57 reported that a witness told officers a man wearing dark clothes shot at Sheppard before running away, and that officials said surveillance footage appeared to show Howard exiting a Jeep near the scene, according to ABC57's reporting. The shooting happened November 1 in the 900 block of Ireland Road, the station noted.
Victim Died From Multiple Gunshot Wounds
Police said Sheppard was found at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds and ultimately died from his injuries, per WSBT's earlier reporting on the shooting. South Bend police said Howard's arrest came with assistance from the department's afternoon patrol unit, its strategic focus unit, its violent crimes unit, its real-time crime center, and Indiana State Police.
If convicted of murder, Howard faces a sentencing range of 45 to 65 years, and the felony firearm enhancement could add another 8 to 20 years in prison. All persons are presumed innocent until or unless convicted in a court of law.
