BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
DEBORD — A midnight shooting in Debord has resulted in the arrest of a Lovely man who allegedly fired more than a dozen bullets into two residences with occupants inside.
The incident took place at the home of Austin Harless on Sandlick Road early Sunday morning.
According to a criminal complaint by Kentucky State Police Trooper Ryan Hale, 27-year-old Joseph Lowell Timothy Stevens of Riverfront Road arrived at Harless’ dwelling armed with a High Point .40 S&W Pistol. A second individual, wielding a baseball bat, accompanied Stevens during the attack. The duo reportedly made an exit post-shooting.
Eyewitnesses on the scene identified the man armed with the baseball bat as “John Marcum,” though Austin Harless remains skeptical about the accuracy of this identification.
Trooper Hale unearthed numerous bullets embedded in two separate dwellings during his investigation.
The officer located Stevens a short time later crouched inside an outbuilding at his own residence, the incriminating pistol still in his possession.
Stevens, the current boyfriend of Harless’ ex-wife, revealed his motive behind the act. He said he intended to confront Harless regarding an incident the previous evening at Stevens’ home on Riverfront Road.
Harless countered this, noting his visit to Stevens’ house was to check on his daughter, who currently resides there.
Harless said a woman and her son threatened him with a firearm when he stopped by Stevens’ home, so he immediately left the scene and drove to his home in Debord.
Later that night, after Harless had fallen asleep, Stevens showed up looking for him with the pistol in a holster on his hip and the mystery companion brandishing a ball bat.
The two suspects exchanged words with three males inside Harless’ home identified as Homer Harless Sr., Homer Harless Jr. and Shawn Moore. Harless slept through that exchange but was jolted awake when bullets were sprayed into his residence.
“We recovered a total of 13 bullets,” Harless shared. “One was lodged in our couch… Had someone been sitting there, they would have lost their life. With that many shots fired, it’s nothing short of a miracle that someone wasn’t injured or worse.”
Trooper Hale mentioned that victims inside the home had named John Marcum as the person accompanying Stevens. However, Hale has not yet been able to interview Marcum to establish a positive identity. He urges the public to come forward with any information about the mystery assailant.
Austin Harless expressed his desire for justice.
“I want the right man charged and held responsible,” said Harless.
Following his arrest, Stevens was incarcerated at the Big Sandy Detention Center in Paintsville but has since been released. He faces a charge of first-degree wanton endangerment.
Trooper Hale continues the investigation.