A Gary man is facing charges for fatally shooting a married couple in a “rampage-like” slaying, who were trying to help her sister and her three kids escape a violent situation in April, court records show.
A third man was left paralyzed.
Derrick Cortez Pouncey, 35, is facing two counts of murder; attempted murder, a Level 1 felony; aggravated battery, a Level 3 felony; six counts of felony criminal confinement; and two counts of misdemeanor battery.
Around 3 a.m. on April 10, 2024, Gary police responded to the scene at the 2000 block of Roosevelt Street, where two people — Kyle and Klorya Matthews — had been shot to death, according to the probable cause affidavit. Upon arrival, police found the front glass door open and shattered and there was glass everywhere. Near the door, they found a third victim who was still alive, along with 29 7.62mm caliber casings, 5 .45mm casings and a large pool of blood nearby, records state.
Kyle Matthews, 31, a known domestic violence awareness advocate at Fair Haven Crisis Center, was found dead just behind a couch near the front door, while Klorya, 32, was lying in the front doorway. Both were shot multiple times from a distance.
The third victim was taken to a nearby hospital; he is bedridden and paralyzed from the waist down as a result of being shot by Pouncey, court records state.
In one of the bedrooms, police found a shirt for Kates Security with a name tag “Officer D. Pouncey” along with two empty handgun cases and 7.62mm ammunition boxes. A call to the company was not immediately returned.
A neighbor told police that she saw a man fleeing the scene in a Jeep, the affidavit states. She was asleep when she was awakened by an argument where the homeowner yelled “if you call anybody, I will shoot them all.” Someone was escorting three kids to a car outside, and she called the police about the argument, records state.
She heard a woman say “you gonna shoot me now .. .I’m going to die for my kids.”
Police arrived and the situation seemed to calm down for a time.
Then she heard Pouncey say “are you going to call your sister over then?” and said he was going to “blow this place” and “blow everybody up,” court records state.
A second witness told police that she was called over to the residence around 3 a.m. to pick up the three kids. Her partner asked to be dropped off nearby as he didn’t want to escalate the situation. A woman and two of the three kids were outside when she arrived, the affidavit states, the Matthewses had also arrived. The woman had a busted lip and a lump on her forehead and she said Pouncey beat her.
Klorya Matthews asked Pouncey to finish packing a travel bag for the kids and then Pouncey started calling her names, records state. She asked Pouncey not to do that, while Kyle Matthews picked up one of the kids who was running near the street. Pouncey told them to get the bag packed themselves, but Kyle Matthews said Pouncey should do it since he didn’t want Klorya Matthews inside, court records state.
The oldest kid came outside with a bag when Pouncey pushed the woman which caused Klorya to push him and tell him not to attack the woman. He told her to mind her own business, and Kyle told Pouncey not to speak that way to his wife, the affidavit states.
Kyle Matthews put the child down, and Pouncey insulted Klorya Matthews and punched her in the face, which Kyle Matthews tried to block and struck Pouncey himself. The fighting escalated and the woman was in the middle of it as it moved toward the doorway, records state. The witness told police that Klorya Matthews said “he has a gun,” telling Kyle Matthews “let’s go.” As they tried to leave, Pouncey pulled out a large orange gun and shot Kyle Matthews in the stomach, which caused him to fall on the floor, court records state. Pouncey continued to shoot him while he was down. Klorya Matthews walked toward the witness when she fell as she was shot, the affidavit states. The woman who tried to leave attempted to hold Pouncey’s gun down.
The witness said she froze and the third victim walked up and asked what was going on, records state. She told him the Matthewses had been shot and Pouncey had a gun. The third victim pushed her out of the way, while she ran and hid between houses as she heard gunfire, court records state. The third victim shot at Pouncey with a .45 caliber gun. Wounded, he ran around to “take cover” and Pouncey followed, then shot him two more times on the ground.
Pouncey told the woman “look what you made me do”, you made me kill your whole family.” Once Pouncey left, the witness returned to try and help Klorya Matthews until police arrived, the affidavit states.
During the argument, the 10-year-old exited the house and the witness said the kid still speaks about nightmares and is fearful of being attacked by Pouncey.
Gary Police wrote they interviewed Pouncey’s girlfriend several times who they believed had “battered woman’s syndrome” — she partially verified their investigation — saying Pouncey shot her family but also gave “routinely vague” answers and “contradictory statements.” She wouldn’t say where he was or give his phone number. Later, when police contacted her, she appeared to have a bruised forehead, mouth and burned hand.
She later said Pouncey didn’t have the heart to shoot the couple.
He later was stopped by police in Chicago, telling them he was robbed. He admitted that he lied in order to get treatment for his wounds, the affidavit states. He didn’t explain why he felt unsafe and didn’t reach out to law enforcement. He claimed his chest was injured but there were no injuries visible.
A Gary detective interviewed a woman from New Age Services, who said Pouncey didn’t show up to work as an “outsourced” security guard on April 10.
Pouncey was arrested April 29 in Calumet City for resisting law enforcement after a traffic stop. He fought getting patted down and struck an officer in the ribs. When the girlfriend showed up, then tried to get into a car to get a .380mm caliber gun, she was arrested, too.
During the police interview, Pouncey said he and his girlfriend fight often but this was the first time it was physical and the Matthewses were coming at him aggressively, court records state. Pouncey claimed someone began shooting and knocked him down. His AK model was behind the couch and fired a warning shot in addition to no more than 8 additional shots. He claimed it felt like two shooters were aiming at him.
Klorya Matthews had been set to receive her masters degree in psychology on May 4 from Purdue University Lafayette.
Meredith Colias-Pete contributed.