Wednesday, July 14, 2010 5:01 PM EDT
By SUSAN FIELD
Clare Managing Editor
A Mt. Pleasant man shot four times and killed at The Cabin bar Tuesday night as patrons that included four off-duty police officers watched in horror may have died in a tragic case of mistaken identity, police said.
Mt. Pleasant Director of Public Safety Anthony Gomez said Wednesday that Justin Joel Luckhardt, 32, of Shepherd fired multiple shots at Kim Lerene Luchie, 25, at about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Luckhardt’s wife’s sister was at a table at The Cabin with Luchie, who is originally from Grand Rapids, and two others at the time of the shooting, Gomez said.
Police described the four as co-workers and friends, and Gomez said Luckhardt and his sister-in-law had both been experiencing marital problems recently.
Initial investigation indicated that the shooting could have been the result of an ongoing domestic situation and that Luchie may have been mistaken for another man by Luckhardt, who committed suicide after crashing his car at South Crawford and West Millbrook roads shortly after the shooting.
Police believe Luckhardt thought his wife and possibly his sister-in-law were having an affair with a man who matched the description of Luchie, Gomez said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, police had no information indicating that Luckhardt knew Luchie, and the background has indicated that Luckhardt was paranoid and emotionally out of balance, Gomez said.
His pending divorce may have been a contributing factor, he said.
Luckhardt went into the bar three times Tuesday night, Gomez said.
During his second visit to the bar that night, Luckhardt took pictures of the four with his cell phone, then left.
When he returned a third time, about 15 minutes later, Luckhardt pulled a Glock semi-automatic 357 handgun from his waistband and began firing at Luchie, Gomez said.
An on-duty Mt. Pleasant police officer was near the Cabin when the shooting was reported and was pursuing Luckhardt’s vehicle when he lost control at the curve at the intersection, Gomez said.
Police found Luckhardt outside his car with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, he said.
Officers determined Luckhardt shot both Luchie and himself with the Glock,.
They also found an SKS 7.62x39 caliber assault rifle with two fully-loaded, high capacity magazines and a Kevlar bullet-resistant vest in the car, Gomez said.
Police are operating on the assumption that Luckhardt had “other plans” based on what they found in his car, Gomez said.
Mt. Pleasant Police officers Chuck Morrison, Tim Standen, Mike Williams and Jason Powell were at the bar and were unarmed at the time of the shooting, Gomez said.
As events unfolded, they administered aid to Luchie and helped in identifying Luckhardt while emergency workers from Mobile Medical Response ambulance were en route to the Cabin and the site of Luckhardt’s accident about two miles south of the bar, Gomez said.
Both men were taken to Central Michigan Community Hospital by MMR, where they were pronounced dead, Gomez said.
Autopsies were being conducted Wednesday morning.
Isabella County’s crisis intervention team and local chaplains were on hand Wednesday for crisis debriefing for Morrison, Standen, Williams and Powell, as well as witnesses and Cabin employees.
Gomez said relatives, friends, Cabin employees and others are among the victims of Tuesday’s shooting.
A sign at the Cabin indicated the bar, which is a popular dining establishment for families and college students, was closed Wednesday and was reopening at 4 p.m. today.
A message on the Cabin’s Facebook page expressed sadness over the shooting.
“The Cabin, its employees and the Hunter family are deeply saddened by the tragic events of Tuesday night,” the message read. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and his family and friends.
“Due to this tragic event, we will be closed on Wednesday for crisis management for our employees as well as in observance of the passing of one of our Cabin friends.”
Tuesday’s murder was the second in less than a week in Isabella County; Iva Joy Fuller was killed over the weekend, allegedly by her brother, Daniel Fuller.
Gomez urged the community to remain calm.
“These are very rare incidents,” he said. “We want our citizens to feel secure in the community.”
Luchie’s death is the fourth homicide cases within the city of Mt. Pleasant in 15 years, Gomez said.
Thomas Babb was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of his estranged wife, Mary Babb, who he shot in the parking lot at the Morning Sun in Jaunary 2007.
Thomas Wendt was convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Vicki Keller, Brandie Keller and Doug McCoy in March 2002.
Michael Thomas, Demond Petty, Jimmy Donald, Jerry Seymour and James King were convicted in the beating death of DeMarcus Graham in June 2004.
Flanked by Lt. Chris Stolicker, commander of the state police post in Mt. Pleasant, and Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski, Gomez said at a press conference Wednesday that cooperation from those departments, along with CMU and Saginaw Chippewa Tribal police departments, was an example of cooperative efforts between local law enforcement agencies.
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