Joshua Hardison, 30, Fatally Shot in Owensboro Apartment on Hughes Avenue; Kelly Anderson, 52, Wounded in Late-Night Confrontation Involving Multiple Individuals and Recovered Firearms—Police Investigation Underway as Community Seeks Answers

The city of Owensboro, Kentucky, is grappling with the aftermath of a violent late-night shooting that left one man dead and a woman recovering from a gunshot wound, as authorities work to unravel the sequence of events that led to the deadly confrontation inside a residential apartment. The Owensboro Police Department (OPD) confirmed that the deceased has been identified as 30-year-old Joshua Hardison, a resident of Owensboro. Hardison was pronounced dead at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital (OHRH) following the shooting, which occurred just before midnight on Sunday in the 1800 block of Hughes Avenue.

The second victim, 52-year-old Kelly Anderson, was found alive at the scene with a gunshot wound to the chest. She was immediately transported to OHRH, where her injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening. Anderson is currently recovering, and while her condition has stabilized, her role in the incident—whether as a target, witness, or participant—remains part of an active and ongoing investigation.

According to OPD’s initial release, officers were dispatched to the Hughes Avenue residence following multiple reports of a disturbance and gunfire. Responding patrol units arrived at the scene to find two injured individuals—one male and one female—both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The male victim, later identified as Hardison, was discovered in a bedroom, while Anderson was located in the living room, suggesting that the confrontation may have escalated in different parts of the apartment. That detail has led detectives to consider the possibility of multiple points of conflict or engagement within the unit.

Hardison’s body has since been transported to the medical examiner’s office in Louisville for a full autopsy. The results of that autopsy will be critical in establishing key forensic details, including the trajectory and proximity of the gunshot, potential defensive wounds, and whether any physical evidence suggests a struggle or close-quarters confrontation. These findings could corroborate or contradict statements given by individuals at the scene and help clarify the narrative of what transpired inside the apartment that night.

OPD detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division, supported by Crime Scene Technicians from the Evidence Collection Unit, responded swiftly to secure the scene, preserve forensic evidence, and conduct initial interviews. According to the department’s report, two individuals were still inside the apartment when police arrived. These individuals were taken to OPD headquarters for questioning, though no charges have been announced at this time. Their identities have not been publicly disclosed, nor has their relationship to either victim, leaving the public and law enforcement both grappling with a wide field of possible scenarios—from a targeted home invasion to a domestic dispute, or even a botched drug-related encounter.

Complicating the case further is the recovery of two firearms from the scene. OPD has not specified whether either or both weapons were discharged, who possessed them, or if they were registered. Ballistics analysis will be pivotal in determining which weapon—or weapons—was used in the shooting, and potentially who fired the fatal shot. Gunshot residue tests may also have been administered to surviving individuals at the scene to determine if any of them recently discharged a weapon.

In the hours and days following the shooting, OPD investigators have continued canvassing the neighborhood. This includes conducting door-to-door interviews, searching for eyewitnesses, and seeking out surveillance footage from nearby homes or businesses that might shed light on who entered or exited the residence prior to or after the incident. Any footage capturing suspicious movement, loud altercations, or vehicle activity along Hughes Avenue during that timeframe could provide critical leads.

OPD is urging anyone with information, whether firsthand or via recorded footage, to contact Detective Simmons at 270-687-8873, or to provide anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 270-687-8484. That plea for assistance underscores the open-ended nature of the investigation, and the fact that police are still piecing together a timeline and motive.

The structure of the apartment and the spatial dynamics of the scene also present investigative challenges. A multi-room apartment allows for multiple participants to be in various locations during a shooting, making sequence reconstruction difficult without direct testimony or corroborating physical evidence. The location of shell casings, blood patterns, and bullet impacts will all be analyzed to determine where the shooter—or shooters—were positioned when the shots were fired.

While much about the incident remains unclear, OPD’s preliminary statement offers some guidance. Detectives believe that “one or more individuals entered the apartment, leading to a confrontation and gunfire.” That phrasing suggests the possibility of an outside intrusion—raising the stakes from an isolated domestic dispute to a potential home invasion or planned attack. If that is the case, investigators will be pursuing leads on why the apartment was targeted, how the suspects gained access, and whether either victim was the intended target.

As of now, the motive remains unknown. There is no official word on whether the shooting was random or targeted, or if it involved personal, financial, or criminal conflict. Investigators are likely combing through communications records, such as text messages, call logs, and social media activity, to determine whether there were prior threats or confrontations that led to the violence.

The shooting has understandably shaken the Hughes Avenue neighborhood, a residential area now marked by police tape, forensic markings, and the residual unease that follows such violence. For residents, the questions are both personal and civic: How did this happen? Was it preventable? And what will be done to ensure safety moving forward?

For the family and friends of Joshua Hardison, grief is compounded by uncertainty. As the coroner confirms his identity and transfers the case for autopsy, loved ones are left without answers—and without the man they knew. Whether he was a victim of a premeditated act or a participant in a confrontation that escalated fatally, Hardison’s death has become a flashpoint in Owensboro’s summer.

Similarly, Kelly Anderson, though physically recovering, now becomes a central figure in an unfolding criminal investigation. Her account of what occurred in the apartment may hold the key to unlocking the truth of what transpired. It remains unclear whether she is considered a victim, a witness, or possibly even a participant, pending further evidence. As of the latest report, she has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

What happens next will depend on several investigative milestones: the results of the autopsy, forensic testing of the firearms, surveillance footage analysis, and continued interviews with the individuals present. Once those elements come into clearer focus, prosecutors and detectives will have to decide whether any charges will be filed, and against whom.

In the meantime, OPD’s public appeal for information remains urgent. The department is asking for community cooperation to break the wall of silence that sometimes follows neighborhood violence. Whether it’s an anonymous tip, a camera feed, or a statement from a nearby resident, any thread of information could tie together the final moments that led to Joshua Hardison’s death and Kelly Anderson’s wounding.

The tragedy on Hughes Avenue is now more than a police matter—it is a community concern, a family’s loss, and a puzzle still missing its corners. As the investigation unfolds, all eyes remain fixed on Owensboro’s detectives—and on the truths still hidden behind the apartment door that became the epicenter of a late-night gunfire and irreversible consequences.