LITTLE ROCK — Little Rock police are investigating a homicide after a man was found shot in his downtown home early Sunday afternoon.
Joseph McCardell, 38, suffered at least one gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at his 2018 W. 18th St. residence.
McCardell’s 15-year-old daughter went to a neighbor’s house to call police to tell them “her dad was bleeding inside the house,” according to department spokesman Sgt. Cassandra Davis, who said the call came in at approximately 12:25 p.m.
Officers interviewed several family members and neighbors from a crowd of dozens that had gathered around the perimeter of the crime scene and spoke in solemn, hushed tones.
Davis said it was unclear whether there was a struggle inside the residence but she did note that there were no signs of forced entry at McCardell’s home.
Other circumstances surrounding the shooting were unknown, Davis said, other than that the shooting appeared to have occurred in the man’s home.
Several neighbors said they didn’t hear any gunshots or other sounds of a disturbance Sunday and theorized that whatever happened must have happened in the very early hours of the morning.
Davis was unable to say when McCardell was shot.
One neighbor, Cathy Jones, was shocked to find out it was a shooting. She said she had assumed that McCardell was stabbed because she hadn’t heard a shot.
According to Jones, McCardell and his daughter lived alone at the house. She said the man’s truck, which was parked outside the home at 9 p.m. Saturday, was not there when police arrived.
Davis said detectives were still assessing whether any property had been taken.
Detectives did have some suspect vehicle information but were not yet releasing details, she said. As of Sunday afternoon, police had no suspect descriptions or motives behind the shooting, Davis said.
At this point last year, there were six homicides in the capital city.
Arkansas, Pages 9 on 01/28/2013