Thursday, December 16, 1999
Shooting shocks Vevay
Man dead, girl hurt at home
BY RACHEL MELCER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
VEVAY, Ind. — A 14-year-old girl was critically wounded and her father was shot to death late Tuesday night, as the rest of the family slept or relaxed in their Main Street home.
Gary Bradford, 41, died of a gunshot to the head, according to the Kentucky medical examiner's office.
Allison Bradford, a freshman at Switzerland County High School, remained in critical condition Wednesday evening at University Hospital in Louisville.
They were found shortly after midnight in Mr. Bradford's bedroom, a handgun lying nearby, said Indiana State Police Sgt. Marvin Jenkins. He could not say who fired the fatal shots, but there was no sign of forced entry or of any other crime having been committed at the house in the 300 block of East Main Street.
“Right now the title I'm operating under is a "death investigation.' There's obviously several different scenarios that we think we could put into play on this. It's still very much an open-ended investigation,” he said.
At Switzerland County High School, administrators told about 500 students the news. Counselors and ministers were on hand. Wednesday's ball games were canceled in this Indiana village along the Ohio River. “I think most of (students' reactions) were disbelief,” said Principal Joan Keller. “We see it in the news, and it happens some where else and it's not realistic for us. The fact that it happened in our own community brought the world into Vevay.
“We don't think it's supposed to happen here.”
The school's prayer club held its regular meeting Wednesday morning and made plans to gather in the evening in front of the school. They would light candles and pray for their classmate's recovery.
“There probably wasn't a student in the school who couldn't remember where they saw her yesterday” even if they weren't close friends, Ms. Keller said.
Allison had no history of discipline problems, nor did she indicate to teachers or administrators that there were problems at home.
“Based on what I've heard from other teachers and students, she is a very friendly, bubbly, typical young freshman girl — and definitely no signs that would cause you to think otherwise,” said teacher Michael Jones, also president of the county council.
“Here's a young lady that was in school yesterday and was happy and looking forward to Christmas, and then something like this happens. That's really sad, no matter what the circumstances.”
Mr. Bradford was facing a harder holiday season, having lost his job when the town's Nine West Co. factory closed its doors for good on Tuesday. Several hundred people were left without work.
He shared his two-story home with his wife, their daughter, her son and a teen-age niece, Sgt. Jenkins said.
Mrs. Bradford was downstairs but awake at the time of the shooting, while the other two children were asleep in their rooms.
“There was nothing to indicate there had been any kind of fight or any kind of problems at the home,” Sgt. Jenkins said. “But this thing is developing minute by minute.”
Neighbors had little to say Wednesday. Vevay is best known for the riverboat casino complex now under construction and due to open next summer about 2 miles from town.
“It's a small community,” said Mr. Jones. “I think (the shooting) is just a little more felt by everyone than it is in a place like Cincinnati.”
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