Police release ID of man who died in Springfield shooting

Springfield police investigate a homicide at a homeless encampment at 901 West Main Street Wednesday, April 6, 2022. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Springfield police investigate a homicide at a homeless encampment at 901 West Main Street Wednesday, April 6, 2022. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

A 37-year-old man was shot to death Wednesday morning in Springfield.

The gunshot victim was identified Wednesday evening as Joshua Tackett by the Springfield Police Division. His hometown was not immediately released.

Springfield police were called around 10:30 a.m. to the 900 block of West Main Street on a report of a shooting, which happened in the parking lot across from the Springfield Soup Kitchen, where a small homeless encampment is set up, said Fred Stegner, president of the charity organization.

People who were in the soup kitchen could hear gunshots, Stegner said. After going to the kitchen’s window to investigate, they witnessed a person run up the nearby railroad tracks.

The encampment, locally called “Tent City,” typically sees between two and 16 residents, with numbers fluctuating, Stegner said.

Police cruisers and caution tape lined West Main Street for several hours after the incident. .

No arrests have been made and no suspect information was available.

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