A Saturday morning in Smoketown ended in violence when 70-year-old Michael Evans was found fatally shot on South Preston Street just after 11 a.m. Metro Police arrived to find the Black male victim, often seen walking his pit bull in the neighborhood, suffering from a gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead after officers rendered aid.

Investigators focused on a nearby home in the 900 block of South Preston Street after a witness followed an individual seen on surveillance footage carrying a handgun into that residence. Surveillance images and the witness led police to 25-year-old Dakarai McDonald, and a nearly six-hour standoff with LMPD’s SWAT team ended with McDonald taken into custody and transported to a hospital. Officers recovered a handgun, a shotgun, and a black hooded sweatshirt with a distinctive design allegedly worn at the time of the shooting.

McDonald was arrested and charged with murder, possession of a handgun, and being a felon in possession of a firearm; he pleaded not guilty at a court appearance, and a judge ordered no contact with the victim’s family and barred him from possessing guns. Detectives say motive remains under investigation.

If anyone who knew Michael Evans or who was in the Smoketown area that morning has information, please come forward.