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The Indiana judge who was shot at his home by an unknown suspect earlier this week did not have any recorded instances of threats against him, according to local officials.
Judge Steven Meyer and his wife, Kimberly Meyer, were injured after an unknown individual knocked on the front door of their Lafayette home around 2:15 p.m. Sunday and told them, “We have your dog,” before shooting through the door, according to dispatch audio obtained by Fox News Digital.
The incident marked the first recorded act of violence against the judge, according to the Lafayette Police Department. Officials had no records of previous threats against Meyer or 911 calls from the judge’s Mill Pond Lane address, a department spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Steven Meyer was shot in the arm and Kimberly Meyer was shot in the hip, authorities said. The couple was taken to a hospital after the shooting.
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While the number of shots fired remains unclear, police reportedly recovered shell casings at the scene.
As of Monday, Steven Meyer remained in the hospital in stable condition, according to a written statement from his colleagues.
Steven Meyer, a Democrat, has served as a Tippecanoe Superior Court judge for 12 years and recently announced he would not seek reelection for a third term in the upcoming November 2026 elections, according to The Exponent.
The judge previously made national headlines in 2022 while presiding over the trials of then-married couple Michael and Kristine Barnett, the adoptive parents of Natalia Grace.
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Grace, a Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism, was accused of masquerading as a child by the Barnetts after she was adopted at 6 years old by their family in April 2010.
The Barnetts successfully petitioned a Marion County court to change Grace’s birth year from 2003 to 1989, effectively making her legally 22 years old.
Following several years of accusations of abuse from both the Barnetts and Grace, the couple moved her into an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, before fleeing to Canada with their three biological sons, according to Investigation Discovery’s documentary, “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks.” Shortly after moving in, a neighbor noticed Grace struggled with feeding herself and completing basic household chores.
In September 2019, the Barnetts were charged with multiple counts of neglecting a dependent, due to Grace’s disability.
During Michael Barnett’s trial, Judge Meyer ordered that Grace could only be referred to as an adult, pointing to the court’s previous ruling regarding her birth year, according to The Exponent. Judge Meyer also reportedly issued a gag order on all parties after the couple went on “Good Morning America” in 2019.
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Michael Barnett was found not guilty by a jury in 2022, while Kristine Barnett’s charges were dismissed by Judge Meyer in 2023.
Grace has not been named as a suspect in the Meyers’ shooting, and has not been charged with a crime.
In a statement penned by Chief Justice Loretta Rush, Rush expressed concern for all judges within the community and urged public officials to remain vigilant as the shooter remains at large.
“I worry about the safety of all our judges,” Rush wrote. “As you work to peacefully resolve more than 1 million cases a year, you must not only feel safe, you must also be safe. Any violence against a judge or a judge’s family is completely unacceptable. As public servants, you are dedicated to the rule of law.”
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Additionally, Kimberly Meyer spoke out through police to thank local officials for their involvement in the case.
“I have great confidence in the Lafayette Police Department’s investigation and want to thank all the agencies involved for their work,” she said, in part. “We are also incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the community; everyone has been so kind and compassionate.”
Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski also condemned the shooting, calling it a “senseless, unacceptable act of violence,” while vowing to continue providing resources for the investigation.
No arrests have been made and officials have not released a description of a suspect.
Multiple agencies, including the Lafayette Police Department, Indiana State Police, the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office, the West Lafayette Police Department, the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s Office and the FBI, are involved in the case.
The Lafayette Police Department declined Fox News’ request for comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
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Authorities urged anyone with information to contact the Lafayette Police Department at 765-807-1200.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace, Greg Wehner and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
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